From Olanrewaju Lawal Birnin Kebbi
The Association for Promotion of Food Safety and Improved Nutrition (APFSAN) in collaboration with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) has provided hand washing facilities to food vendors in Birnin Kebbi Central market in order to reduce level of contamination with food the citizens are consuming on daily basis.
APFSAN,through EatSafe Feed the Future had approached USAID,the donor agency on how to provide hand washing facilities to traders in the Birnin Kebbi market.
While speaking after sensitization and demonstration exercise at the market ,Mr Ibrahim Isyaku, the state Coordinator of GAIN, explained that the inauguration of the hand washing facilities and sensitisation campaign in Birnin Kebbi central market was designed to reduce food contamination in the society.
According to him,,”the awareness objective is to reduce level of contamination of food the citizens are consuming on daily basis. The APFSAN had approached EatSafe Feed the Future agency funded by USAID under GAIN to provide washing facilities for food vendors in Birnin Kebbi which was granted an approval by USAID.
“The objective is to promote food safety. As you are aware majorities of health issues are coming out as a results of unhygienic food consumed by people. Even if the food is nutritious , not prepared on hygienic way, the food could be contaminated.”
Isyaku added that the project was about to minimize unwanted chemical, poor handling of food in the society.
He said: “that is what we are trying to reduce. And one of the effective way of reducing contamination with food is through hand washing.
It is the most effective way to eliminate any form of pathogens from the food we want to consume.
“That is why food vendors, market management requested APFSAN to support them with the washing machines,” he said.
He said that the APFSAN was inaugurated by Eatsafe Programme in Nigeria, funded by the United States Agency for International Development ( USAID) on 8 September, 2022.
Isyaku also explained that the objective of establishing the APFSAN was to promote, educate, sensitise and create awareness on food safety in traditional markets in the state.
“The association encourages, and improves the demand for and consumption of safe and nutritious foods by consumers in the state. It organises and executes programmes, workshops and seminars on food safety among farmers, food vendors, consumers, processors and other actors in the food value chain,” he said.
“Food borne diseases can affect nutrient intake and metabolism. This can impact a variety of human health outcome and have lifelong effects. Many nutrient dense food, such as vegetable and animal source food, can carry food borne pathogens,” the coordinator said.
Earlier, Mr. Joel Aiki, the Permanent Secretary state Ministry of Agriculture, commended APFSAN for their support in providing the facilities and for creating awareness to marketers, consumers and the entire society on safe and hygienic food.
“We thank you for partnering with the state government and for adding a lot of value to the people of the state. The government will continue to be happy because resources available to government could not cater for everything.
“When we have interventions from private sector, it would go along way in complementing the efforts of the government.
“The facilities will help to wash your hands, by washing your hands, you have eliminated 90 per cent of the pathogens that cause illnesses,” he said.
Alhaji Aminu Umar, the General Manager of Birnin Kebbi Central Market, thanked the NGO for the provision of the facilities and sensitising the general public on significance of safe foods for optimal nutrition and well being in the state.