By Adaora John
As the world celebrated food day in October 16, the Foundation for Livelihood Advancement, the commercialization of biofortified crops (CBC) project partner for Imo State has called on all and sundry, especially mothers to ensure that they take enough nutritious foods for healthy living.
Speaking to newsmen in Owerri, the Programme Director of Foundation for Livelihood Advancement (FLA), Elder Kenneth Amogu congratulated the Nutrition Society of Nigeria Imo State Chapter, for taking the bold step to ensure not only that an activity happened in Imo state to commemorate the 2021 World Food Day, but that the right activity was held to mark the event.
“The workshop on Food Systems in the state was very important at this time, considering the need for the production, processing, eating and the commercialization of Biofortified Crops, which include Vitamin A Maize, Vitamin A Cassava, Orange Fleshed Sweet Potaoes-OFSP to ensure that our people feed on healthy foods, and can also generate income to support their families”.
Elder Amogu hinted that the theme of this year’s world food day was our actions are our future- Better Production, Better Nutrition, a better environment and a better life, adding that the Commercialization of Biofortified Crops CBC project in Imo State, focuses on Vitamin A Maize.
“The CBC project activities are being implemented in the following 10 LGAs for now: Owerri North, Ikeduru, Ngor Okpala, Orlu, Oru East, Njaba, Nwangele, Ezinihitte, Isiala Mbano and Ihitte Uboma.
The LGAs have Project Desk Officers, 70% of them are ADP staff, adding that so far the project have had activities cutting across sensitization of community members on the benefits of producing and eating Vitamin A crops (especially during the Women August meeting 2021), training of Processors ( Women, students, Lecturer, etc) on the processing of Vitamin A maize and other local materials into delicacies for feeding the homes.
He said that step down of the training is currently on-going, farmers field day/knowledge sharing day for commercial farmers held in Ohaji/Egbema, trained commercial farmers, Agro dealers, students, among others on the use of Aflasafe to prevent Aflatoxin in maize, to improve the quality of harvested maize for the international market.
Elder Amogu posited that the foundation has extended activities to 3 non target LGAs of Oru West, Ohaji/Egbema and Mbaitoli, stressing that the project is aimed at the improvement of the nutrition status of the people, as they produce, process and feed on the Vitamin A maize and other crops.
“Identifying the foods systems in the state and mapping them now is very important as it will encourage commercial actions (identify crops, farmers, etc) at different points of the value chain, and generate wealth for the different actors”.
He hinted that the information generated from the mapping will compliment other works already done in that area (like the mapping of Point of Interests-POIs in the state). He appreciated the Imo State Government (Imo ADP, Ministry of Health, Agriculture, Planning, Budget, Economic Development and statistics, the State Committee on Food and Nutrition (SCFN), etc ), the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, Imo State Chapter, the Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) Imo State Chapter and other partners working to improve the Nutrition status of the state with sole aim of addressing hidden hunger and malnutrition issues as seen in some of the LGAs.
“He appealed to stakeholders to work together to ensure that the state multi-sectoral action plan for nutrition and the state food policy documents prepared with the support from the Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria Pool Fund Project in the state are signed, and the documents disseminated to facilitate opening of more project opportunities in the state”.
“The CBC Project team once again, lauded the Nutrition Society of Nigeria for their efforts.
