By Nneka Nwogwugwu
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the Nigerian government and private sectors have established gardens in schools to tackle malnutrition among Nigerian children.
The Country Representative of FAO, Mr Fred Kafeero said that out of every 100 children, 37 per cent of them suffered malnutrition as a result of absence of some nutrients in their diets.
Kafeero said that in the FCT, about 18 per cent of children were static as they suffered some form of deformities while growing up because certain nutrients were missing in their food.
“This is why the world is looking at how to eliminate the problem of malnutrition by growing and eating the right food.
“The FAO is interested in teaching the children how to inculcate the habit of eating vegetables in their meal for healthy lifestyle,” he said.
According to Kafeero, the school gardening for better nutrition is FAO’s effort in contributing to the food security of the nation.
The FAO Nutrition Assistant, Ms Nkeiruka Enwelum said the project was born out of the need to combat malnutrition among children and introduce them to growing vegetables.
Enwelum said the essence was to catch them young and teach them how to influence good dietary choices in their meal.
The Director, Federal Department of Agriculture Secretariat, Hajiya Karima Babangida said the innovation was good, promising that the ministry would support to make the project successful.
The Principal of Government Day Secondary School Karu (GDSS), Hajiya Habiba Kolo said that the collaboration was timely in improving Nigeria’s food system, noting that it would attack the menace of hunger and combat malnutrition to eliminate diseases.
Source: NAN
