From Okwe Obi, Abuja
Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Abdullahi Sabi, has disclosed that 2 million children are suffering from stunted growth as a result of malnutrition.
Sabi, who stated this at the HarvestPlus Nutritious Food Fare in Kaduna State, yesterday, added that 7% of women are suffering from acute malnutrition at childbirth.
He said: “Nigeria has the second largest burden of stunted children in the world, unfortunately with a national prevalence rate of 32% children under 5 which is estimated at 2 million children who suffer from severe acute malnutrition
“But only two out of every 10 children affected are currently reached with any treatment, 7% percent of our women are also suffering from acute malnutrition at childbirth; unfortunately, this situation is what we must all put hands together to reverse and the program such as this.
“The nutrition fare is very important, and let me say to haverstplus that I never knew for the past 8 yrs you have not come to the north, but now that you have come to the north for the next 8yrs you should remain in northern Nigeria.”
Also, HarvestPlus Country Director, Dr Yusuf Dollah, said farmers in Nigeria should promote vitamin A Cassava, Vitamin A Maize Iron and Zinc enriched Millet to bridge the gap of malnutrition.
Dollah added that the organisation had commenced work on developing Zinc rice, which will be released soon.
According to him, Harvest Plus would continue to work even when donor funding stopped, adding that the agro fund has introduce an initiative called ‘Harvest Plus Solution’ which is a commercial entity to help Nigeria generate money to continue with the work on tackling malnutrition.
He said: “Today in Nigeria, we promote vitamin A Cassava, Vitamin A Maize Iron and Zinc enriched Millet, the Vitamin A enriched sweet Potatoes. we’ve also commenced work on developing Zinc rice, which will be released soon.
“As we develop these varieties, we are sure that we don’t leave the varieties on the shelves at research Institute.
“We ensure that we bring out these varieties so that our seeds companies who are into commercializations will have access to the early generation seeds for them to multiply it and sell to the Agro dealers in our communities so that our farmers who are producers in the communities also have access to these seeds from the Agro dealer shops.
“As the farmers produce and harvest. We also integrates the large scale processors that require most especially the Vitamin A Maize as raw materials to process our breakfast cereals or cornflakes will bring them to also offtake and create market for the farmers because for the farmers the first thing he looks at is the yield and also the market and the income he’s going to make from it.
“As we do all these, we also support with services the regulatory agencies, the certification agencies, the extension, the financial institutions, the insurance corporations we now bring them in, now to support the value chains and we also bring in all government departments and parastatals that we know enhance the performance of the value chain.
“Then we also work closely with the State Government or the Federal Government for the creation of enabling environment for these varieties because without enabling policies, value chains will never thrive or will never be sustainable.
“The bio fortified value chain in Nigeria is a multi-billion naira industry. Now between the months of June, July and August. We did a market survey and we collected data in Kaduna State here from Soba Market, Makarfi, Lere that is Saminaka, Kubau, Pancho.
“Now within these 3 months, over 8 billion Naira of grains Vitamin A Maize was traded in the states and these is creating markets for the small holder farmers so we came in with funding from AGRA and the FCDO to strengthen markets because we realized that the farmer what ever income he wants to make it’s still that same rural grain market.
“So we are working with the funding with AGRA and FCDA to ensure that we strengthen market linkages so that the farmer whenever he wants to convert his produce to cash he can easily do that through the market.”
In conclusion, Kaduna State, Deputy Governor, Hadiza Balarabe, encouraged investors to support and promote consumption of bio fortified foods to reduce micronutrient deficiency.
“I also use this opportunity to encourage you all to support and promote the consumption of bio fortified foods in your homes and communities by doing so, you will not only improve your own health and nutrition but also contribute to the national goal of ending malnutrition and achieving food security in Nigeria.
“Remember, in our homes, we can enrich and fortify our food using local ingredients around us. Vegetables planted around the house and many around us are high sources of Vitamin A, eating beans, soya beans and groundnut in various forms help our bodies with calories, protein, fiber, fat, carbohydrates, calcium, iron, potassium and a host of other nutrients,” she said.