Experts harp on the practice of home gardening to tackle malnutrition 

 

AKOR SYLVESTER-Abuja

As the issue of malnutrition continues to raise concern in the country, Experts have advocated the practice of home gardening food to end the health problem.

 

In this regard, President of the Nutrition Society of  Nigeria,  Professor Wasiu Afolabi has called on all Nigerians to cultivate the habit of keeping home gardening to solve the problem of food insecurity and malnutrition among the populace.

 

Fielding questions from newsmen in Abuja  at the National Nutrition Week Public Lecture 2021 organized by the Nutrition Society of Nigeria in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Afolabi said, ‘ Government has being making quiet a number of efforts over the years to reduce the scourge of malnutrition using the food system approach to challenge malnutrition in the country. ”

 

He maintained that the Nutrition Society of Nigeria is making contribution  using innovative approaches to promote home gardening at various challenges  of food production.

 

According to him” Using the food system approach, government is saying that we all should grow  the food we consume as a measure of addressing hunger and malnutrition. ”

 

He further stated that “The onus now lies on all of us including our schools, government workers and individuals to use the available spaces in our homes to grow home foods particularly the ones that will address the issue of  micronutrients deficiency in Nigeria.

 

“Everyone should go home, get some sack, baskets and put in soil there and grow some vegetables that you can consume in your own house,”.

 

He said for food safety, people should only  eat any diet that will reduce the cost of Medicare in their  bodies and the burden of healthcare  provision in Nigeria.

 

He added that when people are healthy they will be productive and engage in activities that will increase the economy of their families.

 

Afolabi emphasized that Nigeria has the highest level  burden of malnutrition that affects women  children and the highest burden of malnutrition that affects U5 children globally.

 

Another expert, Adebowale  Onafowora of BIC Farms, advised that Nigerians should engage in backyard farming of vegetables  in their different homes to tackle the issue.

 

Onafowora  said that in the past there were so many nutritional vegetables imported into the country but overtime people could now do the planting  from the backyard of their different homes.

 

He said, ” from the backyard of homes people are now growing nutritious vegetables that they are selling and making good money from, adding that government is now encouraging the use the little land to grow what people eat.

 

‘You don’t need a big land to grow what you can eat, use your balcony, veranda and the little space that you have  and how to multiply what you are growing using technology which can bring in economic transformation for Nigerians.’

 

He maintained that solutions to growing nutritious  vegetables includes using natural micro organisms developed locally  to put on crops  organically.

 

Others, he said include understanding how to use safe bio chemicals, period of usage and when to withdraw them from the crops so they won’t have effect.

 

He called on government to  support and create awareness especially in schools to catch them young  on the food production system  and also in distribution of improved seedlings to people to encourage and support them in home gardening food systems.