Professor Joy Eke-Ejiofor has underscored the urgent need for Nigeria to prioritize food processing and value addition as sustainable solutions to the nation’s deepening food insecurity crisis.

Delivering at the 112th Inaugural Lecture of Rivers State University (RSU), Port Harcourt, held on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, with topic “Food Security in Nigeria: Processing and Value Added Solutions.” She emphasized the impact of food shortage recommending solutions.

Professor Eke-Ejiofor, a professor of Food Science and Technology from the Departments of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, laid bare the multi-dimensional crisis of food scarcity in Nigeria describing it not just as a supply problem, but a systemic challenge tied to poor infrastructure, policy inconsistency, insecurity, post-harvest losses, and underutilization of indigenous food resources.

She asserted that food is not merely a necessity for survival but a symbol of security, identity, and national power.

“Good food is our birthright,” she declared, adding that food plays both physiological and social roles from energy provision and disease resistance to expressions of love, hospitality, and acceptance.

Drawing from the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) four pillars of food security, availability, access, utilization, and stability, Professor Eke-Ejiofor emphasized that achieving true food security must go beyond increasing agricultural output to include the proper handling, processing, and distribution of food.

“Nigeria must begin to re-integrate its indigenous foods which are rich in bioactive compounds and possess health-promoting properties. Many of these local foods are becoming extinct due to negligence and overdependence on exotic crops”.

Speaking at the lecture, The Vice Chancellor, Professor Isaac Zeb-Obipi expressed appreciation for the lecturer and reaffirmed the university’s role as a driver of solution-focused society. .

He reaffirmed that the university remains committed to addressing national challenges through academic excellence and community-relevant research.

Vividly disecting the issues of food insecurity, Professor Eke-Ejiofor highlighted addition as a game-changing approach that transforms raw agricultural materials into safer, more nutritious, market-ready products with extended shelf life and higher economic value. Through methods such as packaging, fortification, branding, and local technology 6adaptation, value addition not only improves food quality but also boosts market competitiveness and consumer appeal.

She noted the benefits as reduction in post-harvest losses by 20–40%, enhanced food safety and nutritional quality, Increased profitability for farmers and processor, job creation and livelihood support, Strengthening of local food systems and rural economies.

Professor Eke-Ejiofor’s recommendations were robust and actionable. She called for the establishment of food processing and value addition hubs in the state and region, stronger collaboration with agricultural transformation programs and research agencies, enhanced Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) to commercialize research outcomes, The development of rural-friendly food and nutrition systems for both food and non-food uses, a more conducive business environment for food export, supported by government, industry, and academia.

The lecture did not only align with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) but also echoed a deeper message that food security in Nigeria is not merely a development target, it is a national imperative that must be approached through innovation, partnership, and intentional policy reform.