Tackling malnutrition via capacity building for stakeholders

Tackling malnutrition via capacity building for stakeholders

By Joy Odigie News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

“I couldn’t feed my three children when my husband abandoned me five years ago. My first child was about nine years old then, while my two other children were about four and two years respectively’’.

These are the pathetic words of Mrs Stella Obasuyi, a petty trader in Benin City, Edo State

Obasuyi, who is currently seeking medical treatment for her two children with stunted growth, says she will be very happy if her children could start growing according to their ages.

“When people ask me about my children’s age, I feel embarrassed to tell them because they look smaller than their age.

“The youngest, who is seven years old, looks like a three-year-old, while the older child looks like a five-year-old even though she is nine years old.

“I was devastated when my husband left us. He was the breadwinner of the family while I was assisting in my own little way.

“I couldn’t feed the children with good food because I was left all alone to provide shelter, food, and educational needs for them.

“I noticed that the two younger ones were not growing well like their mates, but I didn’t know that it was caused by malnutrition.”

“It was not until six months ago, when I took them to the hospital, that I was told that they were malnourished. I was told to feed them a balanced diet, food containing vegetables, fruits, protein, and so on.

‘`I am now working very hard to provide good food for my children, but the problem is that it is not easy for me. My income is small, and things are quite expensive in the market”, she said.

Obasuyi’s story is a poignant reminder of the severe impact of malnutrition on families in Nigeria.

According to the World Health Organisation malnutrition remains a significant public health issue in Nigeria, with the country ranking second globally in the burden of stunted children under 5 years old.

“Severe acute malnutrition affects an estimated 19 million children under 5 years of age worldwide and is estimated to account for approximately 400,000 child deaths each year’’, says a WHO report.

According to UNICEF, severe acute malnutrition remains a major killer of children under five years of age. The situation is worse in developing countries such as Nigeria.

In spite the efforts of various government and non-governmental organizations to address this issue, progress has been slow.

One promising approach to tackling malnutrition is through capacity building for stakeholders.

This involves equipping local healthcare workers, community leaders, educationists, and agriculturalists with the knowledge and resources needed to promote proper nutrition.

To this end, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in collaboration with Edo State Government recently organised an eight day capacity building workshop on Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) for relevant stakeholders.

The Training of Trainers (TOT) course was sponsored by the World Bank in collaboration with Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria, ANRiN.

Dr Lois Oriyike, nutrition consultant for the TOT programme, said it was targeted at directly training 120 health personnel in each state of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory.

Oriyike said, “If we know the skills in MIYCN counselling, it will go a long way to reduce malnutrition in children. “It has become necessary that we step up real action to address this situation

“Nutrition issues are yet to get the attention it should get. It has a major role to play in the development of any nation.

“Any child that is deprived of good nutrition from gestation; the first 1000 days of life, you have deprived the whole nation of the value that the person should have added to societal development.

She further said, “Mothers should eat healthy food before pregnancy, during pregnancy and during lactation.

“Breastfeeding is a major health intervention for babies. So, nutritious food should be available to mothers and adolescent girls who will also become mothers in the future.

She stressed the role of fathers in curbing infant and young child malnutrition, noting that breastfeeding was not a woman’s affair.

Similarly, Dr Eseigbe Efeomon, Director of Disease Control and Immunisation at the Edo Primary Health Care Development Agency, emphasised the importance of training trainers to educate healthcare workers on MIYCN.

Efeomon said, “This initiative aims to address the growing malnutrition problem in Nigeria, which stems from both lack of knowledge and food insecurity.

“With the current economic challenges, it is crucial to promote the consumption of locally produced, healthy foods”, Efeomon said.

He said that educating mothers on breastfeeding techniques and the significance of proper nutrition would help protect children from diseases and ensure proper growth.

“Well-nourished individuals have stronger immunity and are better equipped to resist common illnesses.”

According to Dr Olufemi Olaniyi, Consultant Paediatrician Haematologist at University of Benin Teaching Hospital, malnutrition contributes to 50 per cent of under-five mortality.

“Malnutrition is either a primary problem or diseases can make children malnourished.

“So, addressing malnutrition is a key intervention in stemming the tide of children dying early”, Olaniyi said.

Olaniyi, a participant at the training, noted that people needed to be empowered to improve their economic status to enable them to tackle malnutrition.

“The fact that food is expensive means that people need to be empowered to afford the necessary food that will provide a balanced diet for their children and even for breastfeeding mothers’’, he said.

In the case of Mrs Stella’s children, where the malnutrition was obvious, Olaniyi, says malnutrition can be hidden, which is known as hidden hunger.

“A child can be eating large quantities of food, but if these foods don’t have the required amount of micronutrients, they can have nutrient deficiencies called hidden hunger.

“Iron, iodine, and zinc are part of micronutrients. If children are not getting enough, they may have poor cognitive functions. The children are not sharp, the brain is not developing optimally”, he said.

Mr David Ogubor, Director of Agricultural Services and Extension, Edo Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, another participant, said the training was apt.

Ogubor said the ministry was advocating for homestead farming, assuring that extension agents would educate women farmers on planting local food to mitigate hunger

“For those of us who are in the agricultural sector, nutrition comes from producing food; the cereals, legumes and vegetables.

“The amount that is available at every meal is very important. We engage with communities, and we will take this message of nutrition to our farmers, especially women, on ways to improve the nutrition status of their families.

Emphasising the correlation between nutrition and academic performance, Mrs Josephine Irabor, Health and Safety Officer, Edo State Universal Education Board, said child nutrition should be given top priority.

Irabor said knowledge gained at the TOT training would be cascaded to both teachers and pupils in order to produce both healthy and intelligent children.

“It is only when children are healthy that they can do well in their academics. The knowledge and skills acquired will be cascaded in schools.

“Teachers would be taught nutrition so that they can teach the children the importance of eating healthy foods.

“A child that is not well fed can easily become sick and not be able to come to school”, she said.

She urged mothers to give their children more locally sourced food, like maize and vegetables rather than processed food.

All hands must be on deck to tackle malnutrition in the state, says Mrs Phi-Imade Amenze, Edo State Nutrition Officer.

Amenze said the TOT training was to empower health workers and other stakeholders with specific knowledge on good counselling for breastfeeding mothers.

She said the training was also about how mothers could be educated to use food within their locality to feed their children.

We need initiatives that involve hospitals, workplaces, communities, traditional and religious institutions to improve MIYCN”, she said.

There is no doubt that TOT capacity building initiatives on Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition aims to empower those on the frontlines with the tools to identify and address malnutrition effectively.

It is therefore expected that the trainers cascade the knowledge and skills acquired to other stakeholders as well as to the grassroots.

By prioritising nutrition education and support at the grassroots there is hope that the cycle of malnutrition can be broken, ensuring a healthier future for the children of Nigeria. (NANFeatures)

**If edited please credit the writer and News Agency of Nigeria

TCN has capacity to transmit 6,000MW of electricity – MD

By Constance Athekame

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), says it has capacity to transmit 6,000 MWS of electricity to distribution load centres nationwide.

Mr Sule Abdulaziz, the Managing Director of TCN said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday.

Abdulaziz said that in the last three years, TCN had upgraded several sub-stations.

He said that the company  had also built new sub-stations funded through its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and donor agencies.

The TCN boss said that the company had installed new transformers to ensure an increase in capacity.

“TCN has a comprehensive list of proposed projects, which are in batches, taking into cognisance those that require little investment to benefit the grid in the first batch for quick additional capacity.”

He said that the grid capacity was confirmed through an acceptable scientific method of capacity determination.

“The last grid simulation test carried out  revealed that it has a capacity of 8100 MWS. In March 2021,  TCN successfully wheeled 5,801 MWS from generating companies to distribution load centres nationwide.

“From then to date, we have continued to add more transformers, conduct transmission lines and build new transmission substations among others.

“All these we know have continued to further strengthen our grid capacity. So, yes, we can comfortably transmit 6,000 MWS and more before the end of this year,” he said.

He said TCN was a key stakeholder of the Nigerian Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) as undertaken by the Federal Government of Nigeria Power Company (FGNPC).

“This initiative aims to resolve existing challenges in the nation’s power sector and further expand the capacity of the transmission and distribution networks to achieve an operational capacity of 25,000 megawatts (MW).

“Through a series of projects spanning three phases, projects under this PPI initiative are currently ongoing and it is also adding to the capacity of the grid,” he said. (NAN)

Edited by Shuaib Sadiq/Ese E. Eniola Williams

NAOWA building members’ capacity for personal, professional development

By Sumaila Ogbaje

The Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives Association (NAOWA), says it is enhancing the capacity of its members for personal and professional development.

The President of NAOWA, Mrs Mariya Lagbaja, stated this in Abuja on Thursday, at a two-day training organised for the officers wives with the theme, “Mind-set and Life Transformation.”

Lagbaja said that the training was organised by the association to help the women to navigate the unique challenges they face as wives of army officers.

She said the challenges range from isolation due to frequent postings of their spouses, handling of complex social structures, finding personal purpose amidst demands of their roles, and scarcity of job opportunities.

She said that recognising those barriers and the impact they had on their lives, made it imperative that there was a critical need to support their personal and professional development.

“In response to these pressing needs, I initiated this comprehensive training programme under the umbrella of my Next Level Transformation Agenda, which was unveiled on June 22.

“This two-day programme has been specifically designed to empower members of the association with the necessary tools, skills, and abilities needed to overcome these identified challenges, fostering personal growth and transformation.

“During this training, we will explore the fundamental concepts of the mind and mind-set, understanding how our thoughts shape our reality.

“Participants will also learn techniques to transform negative thinking into a positive one, among other carefully selected topics.

“As it is, our goal is to build a community of confident, purpose-driven individuals who are not only capable of contributing positively to their families and our association but also to society at large,’’ she said.

The NAOWA President said that the participants were expected to be able to clearly define and achieve their goals as individuals and improve relationships both at home and within the association.

She added that they should also be able to boost their self-confidence, and take active steps towards financial independence and personal fulfillment, among other benefits.

She urged them to fully participate and engage with the facilitators, absorb the knowledge, and apply it in their daily lives.

According to her, the training will be replicated in all NAOWA Chapters across the country, ensuring that all members benefit from this empowering initiative.

Mrs Lagbaja thanked the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, for her unwavering support and encouragement to the association.

“Her Excellency’s dedication to uplifting the lives of women across the nation inspires us all and we are very grateful for her guidance and support which have greatly contributed to the remarkable success of our initiatives.

“I would like to also extend my sincere gratitude to my dear husband, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, for his steadfast support and commitment to NAOWA at all times,’’ she added.

The facilitator of the training, Mrs Celina Unogwu, expressed confidence that every participant would be able to make a full blown journey forward at the end of the training.

Unogwu, who is the Lead Consultant, Celina Unogwu Visioning Academy (CUVA), said the women would be able to make decisions from the awareness and contribute to the society.

According to her, the training was designed to equip them on how they are supposed to do things on the home front and personally for themselves as army wives. (NAN)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru

Brain drain: Nigeria must increase capacity to train more doctors – Hamzat

By Oluwatope Lawanson

The Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, says medical colleges in Nigeria must develop the capacity to train more doctors to bridge the brain drain gap in the sector.

Hamzat spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Sunday while reacting to the issue of the brain drain of medical experts in Nigeria.

He said since many medical practitioners had decided to leave Nigeria for other developed countries, it had become necessary for Nigeria to increase its capacity to produce more doctors to serve the nation.

The deputy governor said that human migration was inevitable, adding that people moved around the world all the time.

“Human migration is normal. People would leave, and people would come. But as a country, we can train more doctors.

“I am not against the brain drain of medical doctors, but what we need is to create a pipeline to train more doctors instead of complaining that medical personnel are leaving the country.

“If we train 5,000 doctors yearly, let us increase the numbers to 15,000, by doing so, the country benefits.”

Hamzat said the government could not stop people from going wherever they wanted to go.

According to him, in 2022, 197 Americans threw away their passports and became Singaporeans, so people will continue to move around the world.

“The Nigerian government should rather, look for a way to benefit from the countries our doctors are moving to.

“For example, if 1,000 doctors go to the United Kingdom, the UK Government must pay us something back in return.

“Therefore, our medical colleges need to increase their capacity by training more people.”

On Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led second term administration, Hamzat said that the T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda of the first tenure would continue.

The acronym stands for :Transportation and Traffic Management; Health and Environment; Education and Technology; Making Lagos State a 21st Century Megacity, Entertainment and Tourism; and Security and Governance.

He said the ‘Plus’ added to the agenda for the second term was to enhance more social inclusion.

“There are many people that we need to lift out of poverty.

“We need to make sure that people can at least run a business no matter how small, based on their skills, and interests.

Hamzat said the administration would also focus on youth engagement, and gender equality, adding that they would try to access women in the rural areas.

“It is necessary that we bring them in and elevate everyone so that they can be part of the Lagos Agenda.” (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Okeoghene Akubuike/Vivian Ihechu

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