By Rita Iliya

Niger government in collaboration with HarvestPlus on Wednesday hosted the 10th edition of Nutritious Food Fair, aimed at addressing micronutrient deficiencies in the state.

Gov. Umaru Bago of Niger said at the event in Minna that the state had made significant strides in agriculture by harvesting over 1 million metric tonnes of corn across the state.

He said to further support the production of nutritious foods, the state government planned to establish a 30,000-hectare bio fortified food production centre in Adunu community in Paikoro Local Government.

Dr Yusuf Fu’ad, Country Manager of HarvestPlus Nigeria, said the fair was a platform created to host stakeholders working within the nutrition crops value chain in Nigeria.

He highlighted the organisation’s efforts to improve the health and wellbeing of Nigerians through bio fortification crops rich in essential micronutrients.

Fu’ad said iron, zinc, and vitamin A deficiencies were among the most prevalent micronutrient deficiencies globally.

He said the World Health Organization (WHO) stipulated that these deficiencies could have severe consequences, including impaired cognitive development, weakened immune systems and even death.

He emphasised the importance of addressing these deficiencies, stressing the need for micronutrients for brain development, immune function, healthy pregnancy, vision health, and fetal development.

He revealed that 50 per cent of deaths of children under five were attributed to micronutrient deficiencies while two billion people worldwide suffer from iron or zinc deficiency.

He said that 72 per cent of population in Nigeria could not afford a basic nutritional diet.

He said in Niger, nutritious foods were already being produced, and the governor’s agriculture revolution was promoting food security but there was the need to ensure food nutrition security.

In his welcome address, Alhaji Musa Bawa, Commissioner for Agriculture in Niger, highlighted the importance of bio fortification in improving the nutritional status of the state’s population.

He said Niger adopted bio fortification through the IFAD-VCDP programme to improve nutritional status of people, particularly children below five, lactating mothers, pregnant women and adolescents.

Also, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Aliyu Sabi, highlighted the challenge facing the country as the second with highest stunted children in the world and called for collective action to address the challenge.

Sabi, represented by Malam Nuhu Kilishi, Director, Nutrition and Food Safety Department, noted that 32 per cent of children under five were affected with an estimated 2 million children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the two-day event with the them: “Sustainable Food Systems, Our Collective Responsibility”, featured exhibitions and food demonstrations showcasing biofortified crops.(NAN)

Edited by Joe Idika