Youths urged to advocate for healthy food policy

A non-governmental organisation, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has tasked youths on the need to engage critical concerns at the intersection of food, health, and policy in Nigeria.

The group’s charge featured in a week-long youth boot camp on food justice, organised by CAPPA in partnership with the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), at the Ikogosi Warm Springs Resort, Ekiti State.

Addressing selected participants at the boot camp, CAPPA’s executive director, Oluwafemi Akinbode, decried the growing burden of non-communicable diseases in Nigeria, attributing it to the excessive consumption of ultra-processed foods high in fat, salt, and sugar.

Mr Akinbode stated that the consumption of unhealthy food has been compounded by weak regulation and misleading advertisements of salt, fat, and sugar-sweetened products.

“Nigeria’s food environment has greatly altered in the last two decades, with more people consuming ultra-processed products and foods high in fat, salt, and sugar such as soft drinks, instant noodles, salty snacks, and fast foods,” Mr Akinbode stated.

He added, “What makes this worse is the heavy advertising. They promote those unhealthy foods as modern, desirable, and convenient, while hiding their health risks and making healthier options harder to choose.”

According to Mr Akinbode, several countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America are also faced with the challenges of diet-related diseases, with their respective governments “adopting evidence-based policies that put public health first, provide consumers with better information, and hold corporations accountable for the harm their products cause.”

He also called for adequate taxation, front-of-pack labelling, salt reduction, and youth-driven advocacy against unhealthy diets.

“These three policies, effective taxation of unhealthy products, clear front-of-pack warning labels, and sodium reduction, form a powerful package.

“Together, they can reshape Nigeria’s food environment, reduce the burden of disease, and save lives. But policies alone will not succeed without public awareness, advocacy, and leadership. This is where young people come in,” he added.

In his lecture, the dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Lagos, Adelaja Odutola, decried the absence of choice in healthy food availability and consumption, urging youths to rise in advocacy.

Mr Odutola, who stated that “the problem of food justice is very grave and serious”, emphasised the importance of movement building and youth activism in the pursuit of healthy food policies.”

“Today, availability dictates food choice. In other words, we are forced to eat what is available instead of what is desirable, what is nutritious, or what is beneficial to the body.

“The health consequences are alarming. We are seeing rising cases of heart-related diseases, diabetes, cancer, and other conditions. This crisis compromises not only our health but also our national wealth, prosperity, and manpower, leaving the entire nation worse off,” Mr Odutola said.

An attendee and advocate, Okoro Uchechukwu, said food justice “ensures that everyone has access to affordable, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food, which involves not only.”

Another participant and a media enthusiast, Hope Ogunka, noted that the training offered knowledge “on how to become a better food advocate, hinged on the reality that to influence any public policy, the courage to speak the truth, especially in the food space, is important.”

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