Global Alliance For Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is working assiduously to ensure that nutritious foods enriched with vitamin A are available, accessible and affordable to Nigerians in all seasons.
The Senior Project Manager, GAIN Supply Chain for Commercialization, Mr Godwin Ehiabhi, disclosed this during the training of trainers on improving nutrition and value addition for nutrient-enriched staples
on Tuesday in Makurdi.
Ehiabhi reiterated that GAIN wanted to make nutritious foods available, accessible and affordable to Nigerians especially foods enriched with vitamin A.
He further disclosed that GAIN was strengthening nutrition in priority staples, stressing that the project was a five year project that began in 2021 and would end in December 2025.
"It is aimed at solving the problem of malnutrition in Nigeria. 60 to 65 per cent are malnourished in Nigeria.
"In Benue, implementation is in four Local Government Areas (LGAs) namely Gboko, Makurdi, Gwer and Otukpo respectively.
"The project has three components, bio-fortification, workforce nutrition and business support," Ehiabhi said.
He pointed out that bio-fortification targeted the farmers for training, extension services and free input distribution, while workforce nutrition targeted households to enable them adopt nutrition in their homes as well as cooking demonstrations, social behavioural change campaign and home garden.
He further stated that business support targeted processors and registered farm businesses along the vitamin A food value chain and capacity building and award of grants to deserving businesses.
He said that it was targeting sustainability of the project, adding that the trainers would step the training or knowledge acquired down to other LGAs that were not captured by the project.
Meanwhile, the Policy and Advocacy Associate, GAIN, Ms Toromade Olutayo, disclosed that Nigeria was part of the one billion people in Africa that cannot afford a healthy diet.
Olutayo added that 90 per cent of Nigerians cannot afford healthy diet, stressing that there was 62.2 per cent prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in Benue.
Some beneficiaries, Mr Sughnen Osugh, Ms Bridget Idyu and Erdoo Jato, appreciated GAIN for impacting their lives, adding that it had helped them to enhance their income.
