Efforts to address malnutrition in Nigeria require both collective and political will, a coalition of nutrition advocates led by HarvestPlus have said.

At a gathering in Lagos to announce the 2018 Nutritious Food Fair, the Country Manager for HarvestPlus, Mr Paul Ilona said urgent and coordinated efforts were needed to improve nutrition and end the 450 billion naira annual losses in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) caused by malnutrition in Nigeria.

But beyond losses in GDP, Mr Ilona stressed that the number of deaths and irreparable damage to the growth and well being of children under five and women were alarming.

“For instance, if you take vitamin A deficiency in Nigeria, 30 percent of children under five years are estimated to be vitamin A deficient… And a deficiency in vitamin A lowers immunity, impairs vision, and may lead to blindness and even death,” he said.

Globally, about 2 billion people in the developing world do not get enough essential vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin A, Zinc, and Iron in their daily diets.

Mr Ilona described the lack of essential vitamins and minerals as “Hidden Hunger,” adding that those who suffer from this situation were usually vulnerable to illnesses and infections.

“In severe cases, hidden hunger can leave children blind, stunted, or with reduced intelligence quotient (IQ), and increases a woman’s risk of dying during pregnancy,” he explained.

To address the challenge of malnutrition, HarvestPlus and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), and National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike, in the last two decades, developed and released provitamin A cassava varieties. IITA and HarvestPlus also developed and released provitamin A maize varieties. These varieties are being disseminated to farmers using a multi-pronged approach including awareness campaigns.

In 2015, HarvestPlus convened the first Nutritious Food Fair (NFF) in Abuja—an event to draw attention and promote the cultivation, and consumption of biofortified crops as a solution to malnutrition. The 2018 edition of the Nutritious Food Fair (NFF) which is billed to hold in Lagos on 7-9 November, builds on the previous editions and aims to bring awareness on biofortification and the dangers of malnutrition to millions of people in Nigeria’s biggest commercial city.

Francis Aminu of Dangote Foundation said  Dangote Foundation would partner HarvestPlus to end malnutrition in Nigeria. “Dangote Foundation will make a presence at the NFF,” he said.

He reiterated Dangote’s commitment to invest in nutrition and to provide opportunity for every Nigerian child and woman to live healthy.

Dr Chris Isokpunwu, Head of Nutrition, Federal Ministry of Health commended HarvestPlus for its efforts in fighting malnutrition in Nigeria.

While pledging the commitment of the Federal Government of Nigeria to improve the nutrition of women and children, Dr Isokpunwu called for joint efforts from both the private and public sectors to help fight malnutrition.

Other participants at the event included the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Technoserve, and the International Potato Center (CIP) among others.

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The Company said the scholarship has become an annual event meant to contribute to the educational development of the people and the area and position them in right place in the scheme of things in Ogun state and Nigeria in general.

Speaking during the presentation of cheques to the beneficiaries at Ibese Plant, the Acting Plant Director of Dangote Cement, Ibese, Mr. Louis Raj, informed that the management decided to increase the number of beneficiaries to 115 from the previous 80 so that more children of the area could benefit.

He also noted that the decision was meant to encourage the young ones to go to school as a sure way of building them mentally and morally so that they be good to themselves and the society.

According to him, the scholarship award is just one of the many Social Services the Company has committed itself to and continue to provide other social services as a way of giving back to the society within which it operates.

Raj stated that the scholarship award and other CSR projects were being undertaken as a way of saying thanks to the people for maintenance and sustenance of peace in the area pointing out that it was the prevailing atmosphere of peace that make the company to operate smoothly.

He expressed the management gratitude to the royal fathers and other community leaders whose efforts have accounted for the peace and tranquility, noting that the company would wish the spirit of peaceful coexistence continues.

The General Manager, Government and Community Relations, Joseph Alabi while giving the breakdown of the scholarship said the award covered 115 students of Yewa origin studying various courses across several higher institutions of learning in the country.

Some of the schools where the beneficiaries are studying include Polytechnics, Universities, College of Educations, College of Technologies, and secondary schools scattered across Ogun state.

Alabi also announced a list of candidates from the host communities who have been selected to attend Dangote Academy for training in various arts and vocations pointing out that the training will equip them with wherewithal to work and do their own business whenever they chose to.

“In Dangote Group, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to our communities is our watchword and focus. Giving scholarships, construction of roads and drainages, provision of transformers and other projects to connect communities to national grid, among others are what will do every year. We award scholarships to communities in order to give the communities part of wealth being created.”

“I think everything is not about money but the main benefit is to provide them the opportunity to have better education and in the future, if they are good students, well-qualified, we will also offer them opportunities to work here at Ibese Cement Plant. This is part of CSR to ensure good relations, good partnership with our communities,” he added.

In his remark, the Olu of Imasayi, Oba Gbadebo Oni said the host communities are happy with Dangote Cement with its handling of community issues, saying Alhaji Aliko Dangote deserves all the cooperation his people could muster for citing the cement plant in their land and then taking care of the people and the communities.

He promised that his people would continue to give peace a chance always because to whom much is given, much is expected. The Monarch said the education scholarship is the best thing that has happened to the host communities because the issue of quality education cannot be quantified in monetary terms.

The scholarship according to him, has offered a big relief to parents who have to struggle so much to ensure their children school fees are paid, saying they will forever be grateful to the management of Dangote cement.

It would be recalled that the company had some years ago instituted scholarships for the indigenes of any of the host communities in any higher institution and secondary schools with the management saying it was poised to making life more meaningful to all members of the host communities with a promise to ensure that all projects meet the specific need of each community.

Also, the Dangote Cement Plc, Gboko factory in Benue State had also given out N20 million worth of scholarships to indigent students from the firm’s host community, Mbayion, as part of its CSR in the last one year.

The Group also emerged Nigeria’s best Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Company according to a survey by Governance Advancement Initiative for Nigeria (GAIN), an NGO.

Dangote was the adjudged overall winner among 25 Nigerian and multinational companies operating in the country in 2016, scoring 6.3 per cent, followed by Nestle with 5.51 per cent and Etisalat with 5.45 per cent.

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