Niger State Government, in collaboration with HarvestPlus, has hosted a Nutritious Food Fair aimed at addressing micronutrient deficiencies in the state.
The event brought together stakeholders in the nutrition crops value chain in Nigeria, featuring exhibitions, job creation exercises, and micro-processing training for women.
According to Dr. Yusuf Fu’ad, Country Manager of HarvestPlus Nigeria, the fair aimed to integrate more stakeholders into the value chain and create employment opportunities for younger individuals.
Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, expressed his gratitude to the organizers and emphasised his desire to make Minna the headquarters of HarvestPlus.
The state government also announced plans to establish a 30,000-hectare biofortified food production centre and has invested heavily in hydroponics, training over 4,000 youths.
Also, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi, highlighted the challenge confronting the country as the second with highest stunted children in the world and called for collective action to address the challenge.
Sabi, represented by the Director, Nutrition and Food Safety Department, Malam Nuhu Kilishi noted that 32 percent of children under five years are affected, with an estimated 2 million children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
The two-day event themed, “Sustainable Food Systems, Our Collective Responsibility”, featured exhibitions and food demonstrations showcasing biofortified crops.
