By Nanji Nandang
The Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN) has charged the Federal Government to tackle security challenges bedeviling the country, so as to create an enabling environment for farmers to cultivate crops and guarantee food security.
President of the Society, Professor Wasiu Akinloye Afolabi, who gave the charge on Wednesday at the opening of the 51st Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the organisation in Enugu state, Southeast Nigeria, says security of lives must be the priority of every government.
According to Afolabi, about 2 in every 5 children in Nigeria are stunted, while a cumulative number of adults go hungry every day due to poverty and deteriorating security conditions, which he said, has contributed to the poor food system overwhelming the country.
“The enabling environment must be created for farmers to produce good food, to increase production, and that is usually the role of any government, the government must fix the issue of security as an important priority, to ensure that we have steady food production in the country, so that farmers can go to their farms without fear of being attacked, it is an important aspect that government must fix as a matter of priority” he said.
Quoting from the National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2018, “there is more hunger and malnutrition in the northern part of country, interestingly, that is the major area that food is being produced the most, we must be mindful that due to the insecurity in the country this is also creeping to other zones, so there is no zone that is left out of this, so you can link the issue of banditry and insecurity to the manifestation of malnutrition and hunger in the country” Afolabi added.
The NSN President said the aim of the annual conference is for members to interact and share experiences that will solve underscoring nutrition problems in the country.
In his words “The theme Promoting healthy diets through food systems transformation is aptly in line with the global movement and concern on how to meet the challenge of providing adequate and healthy food to the world population while also ensuring that the environment is protected to support life”
He decried the situation where Malnutrition and underweight are clearly seen in children, particularly under 5 children, and iron deficiency, anemia among women of reproductive age, adding, “we also have the high influence of non-communicable diseases like diabetes and obesity among the adults, so we have a mix grid of over nutrition and malnutrition in the country” he added.
Members of the Society from across the country were attending the conference which will end on Friday.
Photo of participants at conference venue
Some of the participants in their separate remarks expressed great satisfaction from the theme and facilitators, noting how much they have learnt on Day one.
