Nigeria’s battle against hunger is entering a new phase as the MATAN Food Bank Professionals Association of Nigeria unveils what may become the most ambitious, technology-led hunger intervention in the nation’s history: the Automated MATAN Food Security Initiative (AMFSI).

Designed to provide direct food access to over 40 million Nigerians, the initiative blends digital identity, nationwide food bank networks, and community-driven coordination to confront food insecurity at its roots.

At the group’s three-day national programme in Lagos, Olakunle Johnson, Group National President of MATAN, declared that after years of planning, building, and testing, Nigeria finally has a scalable, technology-powered hunger solution built from the ground up—not another promise, not another political speech, but a system engineered for real impact.

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A Groundbreaking Digital Food Security Architecture

According to Johnson, MATAN’s solution is anchored on a transformative innovation: the Virtual Digital Identity (VDI) platform, a digital identification system that captures individuals at community level and directly links them to:

• Local food banks
  
• Community kitchens
  
• Automated distribution centers
  
• Verified support channels
  

The VDI platform eliminates inefficiencies that have plagued past interventions—ghost beneficiaries, duplication, bottlenecks, and political interference. Instead, the system connects every household to a verifiable food access point, creating a transparent, inclusive, and accountable structure.

This technology-first approach positions MATAN as one of the first private-sector groups in Africa to deploy a national digital food security grid.

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Not Another Policy Promise — A Fully Built System Ready for Deployment

Johnson stressed that the AMFSI is not an aspirational concept—it is complete, tested, validated, and presented to relevant authorities, including the Office of the President.

Key elements include:

• A nationwide digital food access registry
  
• Community-owned food kitchens and distribution points
  
• Automated inventory systems
  
• Digital monitoring tools
  
• Integration frameworks for public and private sector collaboration
  

He revealed that both local and international investors have signaled readiness to support the rollout, while government institutions will serve supervisory and enabling roles.

Once operational:

“Every Nigerian should wake up knowing there is a functional food bank in their community. Nobody should fear hunger again.”

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A Decentralised, Community-Driven Food Access Model

MATAN’s initiative decentralises food support from federal dependency to community-level empowerment. From villages to urban districts, every community will have:

• A local food bank
  
• A registered VDI-linked database
  
• Automated recording and distribution systems
  
• Verified beneficiary support
  

This bottom-up design makes AMFSI one of the most inclusive food interventions in Nigeria’s modern history—one capable of reaching remote communities and underserved populations.

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Strong Government Backing and Legislative Alignment

Rep. Gowon Haruna, representing Bassa/Dekina Federal Constituency, pledged full legislative support from the National Assembly, emphasizing that food security is a national security imperative:

• It strengthens physical and mental health
  
• Improves productivity
  
• Reduces crime and social unrest
  
• Stabilises communities
  
• Enhances national development outcomes
  

He assured MATAN of legal frameworks that would give AMFSI national backing and enable expansion across Nigeria’s 774 Local Government Areas.

Chris-lands Onyemechara, Senior Consultant to the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, reaffirmed the parliamentary commitment, stressing that the initiative must cover every region equitably.

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A Private-Sector Solution Aligned With Tinubu’s Food Security Agenda

Dr. Felix Osakwe, Group National Secretary, noted that AMFSI aligns seamlessly with President Bola Tinubu’s food security strategy, which prioritizes:

• Improved national food systems
  
• Community partnerships
  
• Technology-backed distribution
  
• Elimination of hunger hotspots
  
• Emergency food access mechanisms
  

He urged Nigerians to support the initiative, describing it as a national lifeline capable of reversing hunger trends.

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BRANDECONOMY INSIGHT

MATAN’s AMFSI is not just another intervention—it is a revolution in how nations fight hunger. Three strategic advantages stand out:

1. Digital Identity Is the Future of Humanitarian Aid

By embedding food access into digital identity, MATAN solves the biggest challenge in welfare programs: verification and transparency.

2. Community Kitchens Are the New Social Safety Nets

Rather than waiting for federal distributions, communities become active participants in local food resilience.

3. Private-Sector Engineering Accelerates Scalability

Unlike government-only programmes, AMFSI’s private-led model ensures:

• Faster execution
  
• Better technology adoption
  
• Accountability
  
• Room for innovation
  
• Investor participation
  

If fully implemented, AMFSI could become Africa’s most advanced, community-driven food security model, a blueprint ready for continental adoption.

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