ASATTAHIR International Foundation (AIF) compiles findings from the pilot lost food mapping exercise in Sokoto state.
Building on the pilot phase of the Lost and Underutilized Local Foods Mapping Initiative, ASATTAHIR International Foundation (AIF) has on 21st April 2026, compiled findings from Sokoto North, Kware, and Bodinga LGAs.
The initiative, titled “From Forgotten to Found: Strengthening Food Security and Nutrition Resilience Through the Identification and Revival of Traditional Foods in Northwest Nigeria,” focuses on documenting indigenous foods that remain nutritionally valuable and climate-resilient but are increasingly neglected.
Field consultations with community elders, women, and smallholder farmers show that many indigenous foods are still available but underutilized. Knowledge of their processing and preparation is declining, especially among younger people, while women remain the main custodians of this knowledge. Communities also expressed willingness to revive these foods if supported with seeds, nutrition education, market access, and agricultural extension services.
Across the three LGAs, communities recognize the nutritional and cultural importance of indigenous foods but face challenges such as changing diets, reduced youth engagement in agriculture, and weak support systems. Despite this, there is clear potential for revival through seed conservation, school feeding integration, nutrition-sensitive agriculture, and stronger local food value chains.
The study contributes to efforts aimed at mitigating the rising food insecurity trends in Northern Nigeria, particularly among internally displaced persons (IDPs) and communities affected by insecurity and climate change, through the promotion and reintegration of resilient indigenous food systems.
AIF will expand the mapping to other LGAs and neighboring states including Kebbi, Zamfara, and Katsina and document identified indigenous food varieties, develop a northwest Indigenous Food Atlas, conduct awareness campaigns in collaboration with relevant stakeholders on the utilization of the revived foods.
The pilot confirms that indigenous foods remain an underutilized resource for strengthening food security and nutrition resilience in Northwest Nigeria. AIF remains committed to restoring and reintegrating these foods into local systems as part of a sustainable response to food insecurity.
