…As YEF commissions office in Lagos
Motunrayo Olumakaiye, a professor of public health nutrition, has said that there was the need for government at all levels in Nigeria to implement nutrition programmes within schools to ensure that adolescents have access to balanced meals, necessary to promote healthy eating habits from an early age.
Olumakaiye stated this while delivering a keynote address on “Adolescent Nutrition: Urgent Needs, Key Benefits, and the Way Forward.” at the commissioning of Youth Empowerment Foundation (YEF), a not-for-profit organization new office in Surulere, Lagos.
The professor from Obafemi Awolowo University noted that it was important for parents and stakeholders to empower adolescents with nutritional education, so they can make informed choices about their diet, stressing that adolescent is a window of opportunity to solve malnutrition problems.
“Adolescent in developing countries are challenged nutritionally with depleting nutrient stores, predisposing them to compromised immunity and high morbidity now in later years,” Olumakaiye said.
In her opening remarks, the Executive Director of YEF, Iwalola Akin-Jimoh, explained that the launch of the new office was not about her or her sister, who co-founded the organization in 1995, but rather a testament to YEF’s passion, commitment, and resilience in empowering and inspiring younger generations
“Our values such as integrity, excellence, and consistency, including the passion of our team make us stand firm. For instance, honesty is of utmost importance to YEF, a move that made all our partners stick with us,” Iwalola Akin-Jimoh said.
Chairman of the occasion, Wasiu Afolabi, National President of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, commended YEF’s mission and vision over the years and impact on teenagers in Nigeria.
Afolabi noted that the organization had consistently stayed true to its goals of impacting lives, especially young people, calling for support from well-meaning Nigerians and the government for the organisation to continue on its good work.
According to Afolabi, “I am excited to be part of history, witnessing the commissioning of the YEF office. Being there at the inception of the NGO, and seeing how it has consistently stayed true to its mission and vision in the last 29 years, and impacting lives, especially young people, my wish is that people with innovative ideas should support what YEF is currently doing,”.
The programme was also attended by Jimmy Ogunnowo, the Lagos State Taekwondo Chairman among several other dignitaries within and outside Lagos State.
The new office, located in Akerele, Surulere, was officially opened by renowned Nigerian and Yoruba historian, Bolanle Awe, represented by her daughter, Tinuade Awe.
YEF’s core areas include sexual reproductive health, HIV awareness and prevention, sports, entrepreneurship, personal and team leadership, and mentorship, among others.
