The Emir of Kano, Khalifa Muhammad Sanusi II, has called for stronger collaboration between food scientists and traditional institutions to tackle global hunger and accelerate the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger.
Sanusi made the call while addressing the 23rd International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST) World Food Congress in Hong Kong, where he stressed the need to combine scientific innovations with traditional knowledge and community-based interventions.
The monarch, a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, said the persistent global hunger crisis was no longer primarily a problem of scientific knowledge but a failure to translate available solutions into effective interventions at the community level.
Citing the 2026 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) Report, Sanusi noted that global hunger declined from 8.6 per cent in 2022 to 7.8 per cent in 2025.
However, he expressed concern over the worsening food security situation in Africa, disclosing that two out of every three Africans could not afford a healthy diet.
He also noted that nearly 36 million Nigerians were projected to face acute food insecurity during the lean season, describing the figure as the highest on record.
According to the Emir, scientific breakthroughs and technological innovations alone would not eliminate hunger without the active participation of traditional institutions, which enjoy considerable influence and public trust at the grassroots.
“Zero Hunger will not be achieved by laboratories alone, nor by palaces alone,” he declared.
Sanusi highlighted the importance of indigenous food security mechanisms, including traditional grain reserves known as Rumbu, as well as Islamic social welfare instruments such as Zakat and Waqf, which he said had supported vulnerable communities long before the emergence of modern government institutions.
He explained that these traditional arrangements offered valuable lessons for contemporary food security policies, particularly in improving food distribution, strengthening community resilience and expanding social protection.
The monarch also cited Nigeria’s successful campaign against poliomyelitis as an example of how traditional institutions could contribute to public health interventions.
He recalled that traditional rulers played crucial roles in overcoming vaccine resistance and mobilising communities through public trust and grassroots engagement.
Sanusi argued that similar partnerships among scientists, policymakers and traditional leaders could improve the acceptance and implementation of nutrition programmes and other food security interventions.
To strengthen such collaboration, the Emir proposed four strategic measures: jointly designing nutrition programmes with traditional leaders, scientifically validating indigenous food knowledge, investing in community-based food production systems and encouraging traditional councils to embrace modern food science and technology.
He stressed that the global campaign against hunger should not be seen as a competition between traditional practices and modern scientific innovations, but rather as an opportunity to combine their strengths to achieve sustainable results.
Sanusi also pledged the commitment of the Kano Emirate Council to supporting international partnerships and initiatives aimed at improving nutrition, strengthening food security and eliminating hunger.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the IUFoST World Food Congress 2026, Professor Anlong Xu, said Hong Kong was selected to host the international gathering because of its strategic position as a global centre for food science, technological innovation and cultural exchange.
Xu explained that the city offered a unique environment where traditional culinary practices intersected with scientific discoveries and international food supply chains.
He added that Hong Kong’s strong connection with the Greater Bay Area and its position as a bridge between Eastern and Western economies made it an ideal platform for advancing international cooperation in food science and technology.
“Hong Kong is where ideas move freely between East and West. Leveraging our unique advantages and deep integration with the Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong serves as a vital platform for both attracting global expertise and supporting the global reach of new solutions,” Xu said.
He noted that the city’s strategic position would enable participants to exchange knowledge, develop innovative solutions and strengthen international partnerships for sustainable food systems.
The 23rd IUFoST World Food Congress brought together food scientists, researchers, policymakers, industry leaders and other stakeholders from around the world to discuss emerging challenges facing global food systems.
Key areas of discussion included functional foods and human health, innovative food ingredients, advanced food processing technologies and the role of water in food production and processing.
Other topics addressed at the congress included food safety, regulatory science, emerging contaminants, food measurement technologies, sustainability and the revitalisation of traditional food knowledge.
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