Paul Adunwoke, Health Correspondent
Nutritionists have warned that improving and addressing malnutrition in Nigeria requires collaborative efforts across multiple sectors to ensure access to adequate nutrition. Collaboration will create lasting changes and ensure no Nigerians goes to bed hungry.
The experts highlighted the importance of leadership, funding and collaboration in overcoming nutrition challenges. Collaboration will be implemented among academia, media, middle businessmen, government, civil society organisations to improved nutrition among Nigerians.
The Nutritionists noted that weak data systems and limited resources hinder progress in improving nutrition.7
The experts spoke at the ongoing Nestle Business Journalism and Nutrition Programme, sponsored by Nestle Nigeria Limited in partnership with Pan-Atlantic University (PAU), Lekki, Lagos.
A Lecturer, Dr. Ibukum Afolami, from the University of Ibadan, (UI), charged journalists to do reports that will influence improvements in nutrition in Nigeria.
Afolami said journalism is relevant to nutrition. “And all this I would want to suggest and encourage every professional here in this meeting, to see their position, pens as instruments of change”.
He stressed that it is very important to understanding nutrition from a broader perspective, understanding that nutrition is the food system. Understanding that nutrition is the food economy, understanding that nutrition is a full food package.
The Lecturer said if Nigerians can see nutrition in this way, seeing it connected to the food system, seeing nutrition connected to the food environment. Seeing nutrition connected to the economy and the development aspect of the economy, then it will be easier for us to put things in proper perspective. Indeed, the food industry is a huge component of the economic industry in Nigeria.
Afolami said many Nigerian children are stunted because they do not have enough nutrients. “This is because they do not consume enough proteins, and that gives them problems. Children that are underweight as well”.
He said the prevalence of malnutrition in Nigeria is 33%, adding that one in three persons in Nigeria is malnourished, especially children.
“If Nigerians begin to see their nutrition, as component parts of their health, our nutrition, will improve”
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The Lecturer said you see how nutrition is connected to our life, the policies makers, the leadership, the followership need to connect and collaborate.
“If we are not connecting it, we need to begin to connect it now. All these things are the basic root cause of the high rate of malnutrition in Nigeria. So if we look at what happened in the past three years, that food insecurity jumped up to 40%. Ever since then many Nigerians cannot afford three square meals and this has affected nutrition in Nigeria.
He said: “I attended Pan Atlantic University event where the presenter presented on the food insecurity and other economic indicators in Nigeria. So this is not new, even from the economists from the Lagos Business School”. So if food insecurity is so high, do we not think that it will have direct causes on people’s health? Because people don’t have purchasing power.
He said even the little farmers that are trying to produce cannot produce again because of insecurity. “They cannot produce because there is no road, no transportation, and they are working in vain. Before they get their products to the market, 45% of it is wasted if it is tomatoes. And for other perishable foods maybe a bit less is wasted. So all these things need to be addressed”.
He said all these are responsibility of government, with responsible leadership, also responsible followership. “And that is where you and I come in to have this conversation. We cannot shy away from it”.
Afolami said academia and media need to collaborate to ensure that people know their rights. To know your rights and duties from the perspective of leadership and followership, they go hand in hand. “The followership have to know their duties. The leadership have to know their duties. And when all these things is clear and put on the table, everybody is aware, then we can now start demanding, not just from leaders, but also from followers”.
He said that is what we mean by accountability. So it is interesting that we came here to talk about nutrition. But we ended up talking about development, because nutrition and development are exactly the same. Who are the human resource that are going to be the future and take Nigeria to the next level tomorrow?
Afolami said If we are not taking care of them, how can Nigeria progress? While in some developed countries, have already mapped out a plans for the next 50 years, yet unborn generations.
He said for instance, Netherlands, they already have warning like in billboards showing how that part of the city was going to be transformed because they were building and they were already preparing the residents that this place is not going to be like this anymore. ‘So if you come back in the next one year, you may not recognize the place anymore”.
He said: “And indeed, when I came back this year, I could not recognize where I have lived for five years because there have been developments”.
The Lecturer said these are countries planning for the child that is going to be born in 2090.
He said the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON), have their own role to play in improving nutrition in Nigeria.
He said: “What is the role of NAFDAC? What is the mandate of SON? So we need to calm down and trickle the challenges”.
Dr. Richard Ikiebe is an Adjunct Lecturer, at School of Media and Communication (SMC), Pan-Atlantic University (PAU). He said truly, government is to be hold accountable in improving nutrition in Nigeria.
But we also must take responsibility that we have not been doing what we have been called to do.
He said journalists should not only report press release stories but use their profession as weapons in improving nutrition in Nigeria.
He said: “We have to hold government accountable for the promises they have made and contribute in our own part”.
Kiebe recall the sidelines of the Nigeria/Ethiopia Nutrition Leadership Exchange in Addis Ababa. Where the Nigerian delegation was led by Vice President Kashim Shettima. Governors and federal ministers said Ethiopia’s experience offers useful lessons for Nigeria’s efforts. To tackle malnutrition and child stunting through stronger national and subnational coordination
He recall the Federal government and states have pledged to deepen collaboration at the grassroots. Because they believeed moves will translate its nutrition policies into measurable improvements in communities and households.
Ikiebe recall the government officials believed the renewed push is aimed at strengthening nutrition delivery through coordinated action across health, education, agriculture, water, sanitation and social protection. With states and local governments expected to play a central role in implementation.
.The Lecturer said despite the moves Nigeria still have many unanswered questions adding that if we are talking about improving nutrition, we should also talk about improving wider food supply chain.
He said: “Why is the transporter not able to go and get the food from Benin for us? We write it down. Who is supposed to bring it to the market? Where are the middlemen? Are they cheating us? So these are some of the unanswered questions.
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