The Global Alliance For Improved Nutrition (GAIN) Wednesday said at least 60 to 65 percent of Nigerians are malnourished.
It also stated that there is at least 62.2 per cent prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in Benue state.
The Policy and Advocacy Associate, GAIN, Ms Toromade Olutayo, stated this during the training of trainers on improving nutrition and value addition for nutrient-enriched staples on Wednesday in Makurdi.
She also stated that Nigeria was part of the one billion people in Africa that cannot afford healthy diet.
The Senior Project Manager, GAIN Supply Chain for Commercialization, Mr Godwin Ehiabhi, also said the organisation aims at solving the problem of malnutrition in Nigeria, adding that it is working assiduously to ensure that nutritious foods enriched with vitamin A are available, accessible and affordable to Nigerians in all seasons..
He further stated that GAIN was strengthening nutrition in priority staples, adding that the project was a five- year project that began in 2021 and would end in December 2025.
“In Benue, implementation is in four local government areas 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 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.
Some beneficiaries, Mr Sughnen Osugh, Ms Bridget Idyu and Erdoo Jato, appreciated GAIN for impacting their lives, saying it had helped them to enhance their income.
