LAGOS – Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) in collaboration with Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) through The Third-Party Advocacy Campaign (TPAC) has come together to discuss ways in which Nigerian can improve promotion of workforce nutrition in private sector
The group in a 2 day training themed: “Using Evidence to Inspire Action” for Nutrition, focused CSOs and Media representatives in Nigeria towards the promotion of Workforce nutrition in the private sector, and increased fortification compliance from food producers, said they aim is to mount pressure on government to make sure that food producers fortify their food before selling them to the market.
The aims of the training was to drive food fortification compliance and workforce nutrition in industries and companies, with deliberate effort from relevant stakeholders to address the fundamental aspects of nutrition among employees and supply chain workers, stimulate adequate and timely discharge of the functions of regulatory agencies and other arms of government, stimulate the advocacy for compliance to food fortification in industries and workforce nutrition in Nigeria.
According to a nutritionist, lecturer in Michael Okpare university, Dr. Patricia Ukegbu, a recent report shows Nigeria of being number one in Africa with malnutrish children, and number two in the whole world after India which is not good for the country.
She said though the issues that compound it rises from COVID -19 pandemic, Ukraine war, and climate change but, that Nigeria can do better if the government implements policies that will see that manufacturers fortifies their foods before selling them to the market.
Dr. Patricia said international agencies have noted that food fortification is the key to reducing malnutrition in Nigeria.
“Food fortification has always been there, but, we want to amplify it. That is what we want the government to do. Because a lot of development partners are working to ensure that foods supply chain in Nigeria are fortified so that when you go to the market to purchase them, you will find out that they are fortified then you are sure that you are consuming the micronutrient even though you cannot consume the micronutrient from the food you prepare at home.
Knowing that they have been industrially fortified shows that they have all of this micronutrient, food fortification is a deliberately done, adding that there is micronutrient foods in order to improve the nutritional value of the food chain in Nigeria, and more awareness should be done so that Nigerians will know it’s importance,” she said.
Also, Work Fortification Nutrition project Lead, Lovely Agbor Gabriel, who represented the president, CISLAC, Auwal Musa, said the training was organised to bridge the knowledge gap in the area of food fortification and workforce nutrition.
“People are used to general nutrition poor awareness, lack of compliance and poor implementation. We want people to be aware, on how it is being done, and to improve the food fortifithat informed the intervention is cation status in Nigeria.
“We want government to use their various arms to increase the food fortification awareness in Nigeria so that people will know the importance and demand for it.”
According to her, if people do not know about food fortification, they won’t demand for it.
“The remedy of food defency is to buy foods that are fortified. It is cheaper than buying supplements, It’s cheaper than being sick and going to treat. We want the government to do the talk, put in sanctions that will make food chain suppliers to fortify their product and we want the food suppliers to adhere to governments instructions for the wellbeing of the country.”