As the world marks World Food Day on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, with the theme “Right to foods for a better life and a better future”, young people under the aegis of the Healthy Food Policy Youth Vanguard (HFPYV) have urged governments at all levels to strengthen nutritious food policies, food security and access in the interest of public health.

They lamented that governments appeared to be standing by while food corporations endanger their well-being by relentlessly targeting them with unhealthy ultra-processed foods and drinks often high in sodium and sugar, the excessive consumption of which erodes health.

In a statement signed by Afeez Adedayo Bello on behalf of its communications team, HFPYV said: “Excessive consumption of sodium, sugary sweetened beverages (SSBs) and ultra-processed foods is worsening the country’s non-communicable diseases (NCDs) burden and dimming the prospects of Nigerian youths enjoying a healthy adulthood.

“Everywhere you turn on radio, TV and the internet, we are bombarded by adverts of these unhealthy products, disguised as healthy foods, all targeted at young people. Giant food corporations are given free rein to entice us, and sadly, many youths, unprotected by government regulations, fall prey and become addicted to these products to the detriment of their health.

“In Nigeria, life expectancy at birth is currently about 61.79 as of 2023, but many young Nigerians, unlike their forefathers, are at risk of not reaching this relatively low milestone because, among others, they are the victims of relentless exposure to harmful sugary drinks, and ultra-processed foods excessively high in sodium, produced by food corporations that prioritise profits over the health of their consumers.

“These corporations are so dominant that they are gradually pushing our natural, indigenous foods to the background and even changing our food culture. For instance, many young Nigerians are no longer familiar with and cannot prepare the dishes their grandparents ate. In another instance, ultra-processed foods, such as noodles, are now the donation of choice to natural disaster victims, while unhealthy sugar-laden drinks have replaced healthy indigenous drinks at social gatherings across the length and breadth of the country.”

The group argued that NCDs already place inordinate demands on Nigeria’s healthcare system, adding that the need to reduce unhealthy food intake “is highly relevant for improved health outcomes.”

The statement further referenced the danger of tobacco smoking and related products being aggressively marketed by the industry to young Nigerians.

It said: “Alarmingly, about five million young Nigerians are said to be addicted to tobacco smoking, further exposing a critical mass of the country’s demographics to debilitating NCDs.

“Despite this, the tobacco industry is relentlessly pushing out newer forms of tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes, so-called herbal cigarettes and heat-not-burn cigarettes, packaged to attract children and young people into the deadly habit of smoking or vaping.

“Apart from being an annual global observance that aims to raise awareness of the need to ensure food security and access to nutritious food for all, World Food Day also highlights the importance of sustainable agriculture and food production to address global food challenges. Every Nigerian child deserves to grow up well-nourished. But for millions of children across the country, hunger is their everyday reality.

“In light of this, we urge governments at all levels to re-align food and agricultural interventions, including climate policies, so there can be increased access to nutritious foods and food systems can be more healthy, equitable and sustainable.

“Furthermore, we advocate that agriculture budgets be allocated in ways that can stimulate the production of more nutritious foods, increase their availability and reduce their costs so that healthy diets can be affordable.

“At the same time, other healthy food policies like effective SSB tax, mandatory salt limits, and effective tobacco control measures need to complement these efforts to increase their impact by creating incentives and supportive environments for healthy diets.”