Leftover Food: How Lagos residents add inclusive neighbourhood to SDGs

As Nigeria and other countries in the world make efforts towards the realization of responsible consumption goal of the Sustainable Development, Infoprations has learnt that leftover food is a matter of having excess and uneaten food, according to Lagos residents.

This insight emerged on the income, education, employment, marital status and household size perspectives of 109 residents who participated in Infoprations’ Sustainable Development Analysis Series. Participants who earn less than 50,000 monthly consider leftover food as excess and uneaten food than those earn between 51,000 and 100,000. From the education perspective, Infoprations learnt that 53.2% of the residents who attained secondary education status see leftover as excess and uneaten food than those with higher educational status.

Analysis from the employment categories shows that 29.3% of the residents working in the private sector regard leftover food as excess and uneaten food than those working in the public sector (17.4%) and students (23.9%).  Surprisingly, 51.4% of the residents, who chose single option as their marital status, see leftover as excess and uneaten food than married participants (35.8%).  On the household basis, families with 2 persons consider leftover food as excess and uneaten food than those with 1 person  (9.2%) and 4 (5.5%) members.

Different from what obtainable in other countries and cities, Lagos residents are not only share or give food because they have excess or uneaten ones. They deliberately prepared excess food for sharing purpose. “My grandma gives food during holidays. And we would have to share during Sallah or family prayer sessions. She shares before the family eating or taking theirs,” one of the residents noted.

Analysis further reveals that the residents share leftover food with neighbours to reduce the impacts of difficult socio-economic situations and increasing intimacy. The receivers of leftover food feel possess and having sense of belonging while givers believe they have empowered their neighbours, analysis suggest. Infoprations equally learnt that national norms and values explain 50.2% of the reasons for giving or sharing leftover food.

These insights indicate that Lagos residents could be seen as being keen into sustainable consumption which will eventually help in food security (through redistribution of food items). Apart from being responsible in their consumption through sharing or giving excess and uneaten food, Lagos residents should be seen as people adding inclusive neighbourhood to Sustainable Development Goals, making it 18 Goals.

Concerned stakeholders in the National Food Security Project need to appropriate both ethnic group and national’s culture towards the attainment of the SDGs related to food security.