The MATAN Food Bank Professionals Association of Nigeria (MATAN) has unveiled the Automated MATAN Food Security Initiative aimed at addressing hunger and improving food security across the country.
The national flag-off ceremony brought together agricultural and community stakeholders to introduce the initiative’s framework designed to transform food access and distribution nationwide. The event, held on Wednesday at the National Institute of Sport, National Stadium, Lagos, drew farmers from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Speaking at the ceremony, MATAN Group National President and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Mr. Olakunle Johnson, described the initiative as a “spiritual project” aimed at strengthening food systems from the grassroots.
Johnson said the programme would provide sustainable solutions to hunger by equipping communities with modern tools for food production, tracking and distribution. He emphasized the need for local solutions to local challenges.
“Most problems in this country will solve themselves once food is available,” he said.
He expressed optimism that improved food availability would help curb insecurity, noting that insurgency and banditry thrive where hunger and deprivation are widespread.
According to him, the programme will deploy a multipurpose digital identity card to enhance transparency and ensure efficient food distribution nationwide. Johnson urged federal, state and local governments to support the full implementation of the initiative.
He stressed that hunger is a major driver of insecurity, adding that lasting peace is impossible without guaranteed food access.
Johnson said the initiative relies on digital identity, community enumeration and automated distribution systems to eliminate food queues. He explained that households would receive digital food security cards linked to BVN and NIN.
He also highlighted the need for nationwide productivity, urging communities to return to farming as a pathway to ending hunger and reducing insecurity.
Johnson expressed confidence that the project would improve food supply, employment and national security within one year. He disclosed that MATAN planned to enumerate more than 200 million Nigerians, adding that the system would identify children, vulnerable groups, workers and households for targeted food access.
The Vice President, North West Zone, Abba Imam, said the initiative operates on a bottom-to-top model designed to ensure active community participation.
Dr. Goni Umar, a MATAN Board of Trustees member and Director at Greenwich Merchant Bank Nigeria, said the IMF’s warning of looming food scarcity spurred the launch of the initiative to strengthen food security.
Umar said young people would be mobilised, provided with farmlands, and their produce purchased for subsidised community distribution.
Former Deputy Governor of Gombe State and former federal lawmaker, Sen. Joshua Lidani, described the initiative as “unprecedented” and urged stakeholders across Nigeria’s food chain to collaborate with MATAN. He expressed confidence that the project would significantly improve food security and the agricultural economy within two years.
Also speaking, Dr. Olajide Bashorun, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Miss Farms Ltd. and Chairman of the Food Security and Sustainability Committee of the MATAN Food Bank Foundation, stressed the importance of uniting farmers to strengthen Nigeria’s food production systems.
“By bringing farmers together, we can provide them with the necessary resources and support to increase productivity, improve income, and ensure a consistent supply of food for our communities,” he said.
Highlighting the social impact of the project, Bashorun added, “Hunger drives many societal challenges, from poor health to antisocial behavior. By conquering hunger, we calm communities, improve productivity, and foster social harmony. Food is the key to unlocking human potential.”
He said MATAN would register farmers through its digital portal, provide critical inputs at competitive prices, and purchase produce at agreed farm-gate prices.
