The realization of the right to food in Nigeria: Good governance as the missing element

• Main Authors: Badamasiuy, Juwayriya, Bello, Muhammad
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Language: English
• Published: 2014
• Subjects: JA Political science (General)
• Online Access: http://repo.uum.edu.my/13186/1/100.pdf; http://repo.uum.edu.my/13186/; http://www.uumicg2014.com/

The promotion and protection of human rights has become a global standard often employed to measure a country’s commitment to democracy and good governance.With the flexibility of the human rights jurisprudence, the right to food is increasingly becoming an acceptable universal norm designed to aid in the realization of a number of socio-economic rights and address the critical challenges facing many developing countries, including Nigeria.However, it is an emerging right that is gradually evolving, and like most emerging rights, there are pressing challenges militating against its realization in national legal systems. Although recognized as a right in Nigeria, there are governance, institutional and legal hurdles towards its realization. The general state of socio-economic rights in Nigeria may be linked to the increasing poor governance and corresponding underdevelopment, poverty, inequality, malnutrition and deaths.Drawing from the developments in India, Brazil and South Africa and using the provisions of the 1999 constitution, and other relevant domestic and international instruments on the right to food, the paper argues that the realization of this important right largely depends on the ideal of good governance. In this regard, it identifies the legal hurdles to its realization and argues that given the importance of food to human survival, the right to food should be placed on an equal pedestal with all recognized legal rights in Nigeria.The paper recommends a constitutional amendment, judicial activism and adherence to the ideals of the rule of law, good governance and constitutionalism for effective realization of the right to food in Nigeria.The paper also recommends the enactment of a legislation on food security in the country.