Galvanizing Public and Private Stakeholders to Address Nigeria’s Food Crisis: Public Relations as a Key Driver

By Ishola Ayodele

Nigeria’s escalating food crisis is not just a statistic; it’s a national emergency. With food inflation reaching a staggering 40.66% in May 2024 (National Bureau of Statistics, 2024) and the United Nations predicting a continuation of this trend, the time for reactive, short-term interventions is over. Hunger is no longer an issue of charity or welfare; it’s a ticking time bomb that threatens national security.

 

Addressing complex issues like food insecurity demands collaboration among diverse stakeholders. Stakeholders are individuals, groups, or organizations that have a vested interest in, or are impacted by, the issue. In Nigeria’s food crisis, these stakeholders include small-scale farmers, corporations, government agencies, and NGOs. However, to fully understand their roles, it’s essential to differentiate between public and private stakeholders. Public stakeholders, such as government bodies and state institutions, represent the interests of society as a whole, while private stakeholders, including corporations and business owners, are driven by profit motives and market dynamics. Despite their differing goals, both sectors are critical to solving Nigeria’s food crisis, and public relations (PR) plays a pivotal role in galvanizing them toward collective action.

 

Lest I forget, the credit for this headline goes to the Ogun State chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR). It was the theme of this year’s annual colloquium of the chapter, an event where I was honored to be a guest speaker.

 

The word "galvanize" originates from the work of Italian scientist Luigi Galvani, who discovered in the 18th century how electricity could stimulate muscle movement. Metaphorically, it means to "shock into action" or spur someone or something into a state of heightened awareness and productivity. In the context of Nigeria’s food crisis, galvanizing implies energizing stakeholders to take collective, sustained action that addresses not only immediate hunger but also the systemic issues behind long-term food insecurity.

Public relations is the key driver of this process. In this case, PR goes beyond traditional reputation management. It becomes a strategic communication tool that involves framing issues effectively, crafting and delivering targeted messages that influence public perception, fostering critical relationships, and, most importantly, driving action.

1.     Framing the Issue: Beyond the Immediate to the Root Causes

Public relations, at its core, is about framing issues in ways that inspire action. As the African proverb says, "Amukun eru e wo, o lo ke le nwo"(The crooked load on a hunchback remains because of the deformity, not the load itself). This speaks to the necessity of defining problems at their root, rather than addressing only their symptoms. Often, Nigeria's food crisis has been treated like a natural disaster, much like floods or earthquakes, where temporary solutions like food donations or short-term humanitarian aid are seen as sufficient.

 

But hunger is not a natural disaster; it is the result of structural weaknesses in food security. Mismanaging the issue may leads to national insecurity. Historically, food shortages have been the tinder for revolutions. One of the most iconic examples of how food insecurity can ignite widespread insecurity and rebellion are the French Revolution of 1789.

 

French Revolution of 1789

Leading up to the revolution, the price of bread rose dramatically due to grain shortages. A series of bad harvests in 1788, combined with the government’s financial mismanagement and involvement in costly wars. In 1789, the price of bread consumed 88% of an average worker's daily wages, leaving little for other necessities (Doyle, 2001).

King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette became symbols of excess and detachment, with Marie Antoinette's alleged (and possibly apocryphal) comment, “Let them eat cake,” encapsulating the monarchy's ignorance of the people's suffering.

The food crisis, combined with oppressive taxes and political misrepresentation, triggered a popular uprising. On July 14, 1789, the storming of the Bastille marked the beginning of the French Revolution, a movement that toppled the monarchy and drastically changed the country’s political structure. Food insecurity was not the only factor behind the revolution, but it acted as the spark that ignited deep-seated grievances over inequality, corruption, and poor governance.

When people cannot eat, they revolt as they say ‘a hungry man is an angry man.’ In today’s Nigeria, food insecurity is more than a crisis, it’s a national security threat. Framing the crisis this way facilitates the critical and strategic thinking needed to address the Nigerian food insecurity.

 

 

2.     Shaping Public Perception and Sustaining Awareness

PR is not a stopgap measure; it is a long-term strategy. Its real power lies in shaping public perception and sustaining awareness over time. This requires more than just a once-off campaign—it needs sustained, thoughtful communication efforts that not only introduce change but ensure that the change is accepted and sustained.

 

A failure to do this was evident in Nigeria's ‘Cassava Revolution’. At its inception, the initiative promised to reduce the country’s dependence on wheat and introduce cassava flour into bread production. However, a study conducted by Oluwale B.A. and colleagues (2018) revealed a critical flaw: there was limited consumer awareness, and bread bakers saw high costs in compliance with the new directive. The cassava initiative failed not because the idea was unsound, but because PR efforts around it were not sustained. If the public had been continuously educated, and if bakers had been incentivized through tax reductions or other benefits, the adoption might have been more widespread, and today’s flour scarcity might not be as severe.

 

PR must be viewed as an investment in **long-term awareness** and **cultural shifts**, not a quick-fix publicity stunt. As the old saying goes, “*Out of sight, out of mind*.” Without consistent public education and awareness, even the most promising policies fade into obscurity.

 

 

3.     Public-Private Partnerships: Building Mutual Trust and Sustainable Models

One of the critical roles of PR is in building credible public-private partnerships. The food crisis cannot be solved by the government alone, nor can private stakeholders be expected to step in purely out of charity. A strategic PR approach emphasizes creating win-win scenarios for all stakeholders, ensuring that both private companies and public entities benefit from the partnership unlike when partnerships are founded on charity which is destined to crumble once goodwill fades.

 

South African blood donation campaign

One such good example of a win-win public private partnership for national cause is the ‘South African National Blood Service (SANBS)’, where partnerships between the government and private corporations flourish year after year. Corporations that participate in blood donation drives are rewarded with media exposure, hailed as national heroes, enjoys government and public’ goodwill as well as a correspondent sales increase. The public, in turn, is incentivized to donate through national recognition, access to amenities and discounts. This is a sustainable model, a business partnership rather than a charity case.

 

Rwanda’s "One Cow Per Poor Family"

Rwanda's "One Cow Per Poor Family" initiative, also known as the Girinka program, exemplifies how public relations reframed a food security challenge as a business opportunity for private sector stakeholders. Launched in 2006, the program provides poor households with a dairy cow, aiming to improve nutrition, income, and agricultural productivity. Beneficiaries are encouraged to contribute surplus milk to commercial supply chains, creating a mutually beneficial relationship between impoverished families and private businesses. By the end of June 2022, Girinka programme has provided 427,576 cows to 427,576 Rwandan poor families according to a 2022 report by the Rwandan Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources. It also boosted food security in the country by 11%. Not only did it enhance Rwanda's dairy industry, but it also created a sustainable model for other African nations, such as Kenya and Ethiopia, that face similar agricultural challenges.

 

Similarly, in Nigeria, PR can highlight the potential for agribusinesses to not only contribute to food security but to profit from investments in local farming, supply chains, and infrastructure. By framing food insecurity as a business challenge with lucrative rewards, PR can galvanize private companies to step up as key players in the solution.

 

Imagine if Nigeria had applied a similar approach to its ‘cassava revolution’ building incentives around participation for bakers and manufacturers through tax breaks or public recognition.

 

 

4.     Driving Action: Moving from Awareness to Participation

Public Relations (PR) is more than just managing a brand’s image; it’s a powerful tool for driving action, mobilizing stakeholders, and creating sustained momentum toward solving complex societal issues. In the context of Nigeria’s food crisis, PR becomes a strategic communication vehicle that does not merely raise awareness but also and transforms passive audiences into active participants. To understand the true potential of PR in driving action, let’s delve into its key mechanisms and look at case studies that have successfully harnessed this power.

i.                 Creating a Sense of Urgency and Ownership

One of PR’s most significant roles in driving action is its ability to create a sense of urgency and ownership among stakeholders. By framing hunger as not just an agricultural problem but a national security and economic stability issue. For example, campaigns can target urban populations, reminding them that food scarcity in rural areas affects their own well-being, as it drives up inflation, leads to insecurity, and affects overall national productivity.

 

ii.               Humanizing the issues According to a 2022 report by the World Food Programme (WFP), mass media campaigns that humanize food insecurity, telling the stories of those most affected, can shift public opinion and drive both policy and personal action. For instance, South Africa’s "Feed a Child" campaign launched in 2014 used television, radio, and social media to spotlight childhood hunger. Although controversial for its stark portrayal of hunger, the campaign succeeded in sparking widespread conversation, leading to a 30% increase in donations to food security programs within six months.

 

In Nigeria, PR can leverage similar techniques to spotlight the human impact of food insecurity. By sharing real-life stories from affected farmers, families, and communities, the media can shift the issue from being abstract to personal. Campaigns can also tie into cultural elements, using local proverbs or storytelling traditions to make the message more relatable and memorable. This type of narrative approach not only garners attention but drives people to take meaningful action, whether through advocacy, volunteering, or supporting relevant policies.

 

Conclusion

Research on food security and PR shows the profound impact of strategic communication. For instance, a 2023 report by the Global Food Security Index identified a strong correlation between countries with low food insecurity and robust public-private sector collaboration, all driven by strategic communication. This is not coincidental, countries that use PR to engage stakeholders in food security initiatives are better able to mobilize resources, sustain engagement, and keep the public informed and committed.

 

In Nigeria, addressing Nigeria’s food crisis requires more than policy; it requires a shift in public behaviour, stakeholder collaboration, and a unified national commitment. PR, when deployed strategically, serves as the glue that binds these elements together. It has the power to frame the crisis, shift public perception, foster collaboration, and ignite sustain long-term action.

Remember, "In a world where food scarcity threatens survival, the power to unite is the true wealth of nations; for only when stakeholders recognize their shared responsibility can they turn crisis into opportunity, and hunger into hope."

Ishola, N. Ayodele is a distinguished and multiple award-winning strategic communication expert who specializes in ‘Message Engineering’. He helps Organizations, Brands and Leaders Communicate in a way that yields the desired outcome. He is the author of the seminal work, 'PR Case Studies; Mastering the Trade,' and Dean, the School of Impactful Communication (TSIC). He can be reached via ishopr2015@gmail.com or 08077932282