NIFST emphasises good nutrition for economic growth

The Nigerian Institute of Food, Science and Technology (NIFST) has assessed the consequences of poor nutrition on the nation’s economy and called on Nigerians to always crave for adequate food and nutrition.

The body said good nutrition is one of the fundamentals of life for attainment of meaningful human and national development.
Delivering the 2014 J.K Ladipo Biennial Memorial Lecture in Lagos recently, Larry Umunna, Nigeria country manager, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), said there can be no meaningful development without adequate food and nutrition, as food and nutrition are chief among the basic necessities of life.

Umunna pointed out that the effects of malnutrition in Nigeria are far reaching and devastating, stressing that malnutrition, whether it results from lack of nutrients, the over consumption of calories or poor quality diet prevents people from thriving, noting that without a healthy population, nations cannot reach their full potential.

According to him, “Micro nutrient deficiencies are widespread in Nigeria. More than half of women of child bearing age are anaemic (62%) and almost a third (29.5%) of children suffer from vitamin A deficiency, a leading cause of childhood blindness. As a result, at least 10 million children are affected by stunting in Nigeria, that’s two out of every five children that will face lifelong impacts on their health, their ability to learn and their potential to earn a decent living and raise a healthy family”.

“This unpleasant situation is the reason GAIN is supporting the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Federal Ministry of Health in the ongoing large scale national food fortification public enlightenment campaign across selected Nigerian cities and markets”, he added.

Emphasising the urgent need to address the undesirable situation, Umunna urged stakeholders to take all necessary steps to ensure that Nigerians are able to assert their right to adequate food and nutrition through genuine commitment.

“First, we should promote government accountability by setting clear goals and tracking nutrition-related outcomes. Second, we should increase public participation and transparency by sharing more information and providing spaces for the public to make themselves heard,” he noted.
He added that there is a need to focus on the most vulnerable groups that are at risk of food insecurity and malnutrition – this includes rural populations as well as women and children and ensure that nutrition policies are always linked to outcomes by developing strategic plans to implement national policies on health, food fortification and agriculture.