By Michael Ajayi

‎The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) says Nigeria has developed a food systems dashboard with 285 indicators to track national food security.

‎Miracle Owolawi, Policy and Advocacy Associate at GAIN, said this on Thursday in Abuja at the Sahel Changemakers Conference 2026.

‎Owolawi said the platform monitors nutrition and development priorities across the country.

‎Owolawi said the dashboard provides national and state-level data to help policymakers identify gaps, monitor progress, and make evidence-based decisions on food systems transformation.

‎He explained that the platform offers disaggregated information across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

‎According to him, the dashboard draws data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), agricultural performance surveys, and the National Living Standards Survey.

‎He said the indicators provide historical trends dating back to 2018 with updates extending to 2025, enabling users to evaluate food performance over time.

‎Owolawi said the dashboard functions by describing existing conditions, diagnosing underlying problems, and identifying policy actions to address identified gaps.

‎He explained that the platform would make policymakers to understand how interventions affect production, food availability, affordability, nutrition, and environmental sustainability.

‎He said businesses could identify supply and demand gaps while researchers could access metadata for secondary analysis and further studies.

‎He added that Nigeria was working to integrate food systems and climate data to provide a comprehensive picture of transformation priorities.

‎Joyce Akpata, Head of Policy and Advocacy at GAIN, said sustainable management of the dashboard requires government ownership, funding, and institutional coordination.

‎Akpata said the agriculture ministry has budgeted for the dashboard for three years, though GAIN is still navigating internal competency gaps, public sector bureaucracy, and conflicting mandates.

‎She said GAIN was working with the NBS and the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning to establish a management framework.

‎Akpata said that a stakeholder advisory group and a technical team were formed to build capacity for eventual transfer to the government.

‎She advised that regular data updates, technical expertise, and actual funding releases were essential as an un-updated dashboard loses its usefulness.

‎Dr James Adamu, Technical Assistant to the Director-General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), called for an integrated data-sharing framework.

‎Adamu said the framework would allow government agencies to share information seamlessly through Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) without repeated requests.

‎He said NiMet developed an online mapping platform allowing users to access location-specific climate information and assess crop suitability nationwide.

‎According to him, farmers can evaluate crop suitability, including maize, using parameters such as temperature and crop water requirements.

‎He said the platform provides data on climate, health, water resources, and disaster risks like malaria, meningitis, and dry spells.

‎Mr Uko Ekott, Country Representative of the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD), urged greater community participation in policy design.

‎Ekott said communities should contribute local evidence and traditional knowledge rather than acting merely as policy recipients.

‎He cited a project in Plateau State where communities used traditional food storage methods, urging agencies to build on existing practices.

‎He said that community development groups, market associations, and farmers’ structures can gather local evidence for policy decisions.

‎Ekott also warned that overlapping mandates among government ministries create conflicts and undermine development investments.(NAN)

Edited by Uche Anunne