The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the Nigerian government and private sectors have established gardens in schools to tackle malnutrition among Nigerian children.
The Country Representative of FAO, Mr Fred Kafeero said that out of every 100 children, 37 per cent of them suffered malnutrition as a result of absence of some nutrients in their diets.
Kafeero said that in the FCT, about 18 per cent of children were static as they suffered some form of deformities while growing up because certain nutrients were missing in their food.
“This is why the world is looking at how to eliminate the problem of malnutrition by growing and eating the right food.
“The FAO is interested in teaching the children how to inculcate the habit of eating vegetables in their meal for healthy lifestyle,” he said.
According to Kafeero, the school gardening for better nutrition is FAO’s effort in contributing to the food security of the nation.
The FAO Nutrition Assistant, Ms Nkeiruka Enwelum said the project was born out of the need to combat malnutrition among children and introduce them to growing vegetables.
Enwelum said the essence was to catch them young and teach them how to influence good dietary choices in their meal.
The Director, Federal Department of Agriculture Secretariat, Hajiya Karima Babangida said the innovation was good, promising that the ministry would support to make the project successful.
The Principal of Government Day Secondary School Karu (GDSS), Hajiya Habiba Kolo said the project fitted into President Buhari’s plan to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty.
Kolo added that the collaboration was timely in improving Nigeria’s food system, noting that it would attack the menace of hunger and combat malnutrition to eliminate diseases.
Some of the students commended the initiators of the project and promised to ensure that it was successful.
Asukwo Favour, a student of GDSS expressed happiness to be part of the project as it would help him eat healthily.
Hamidat Ojonugwa, another student of GDSS promised to change her diet by eating more of vegetables to live a healthy lifestyle.
Reports indicated that FAO in collaboration with the ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development were working hand in hand to boost food production.
Government Day Secondary School, Royal School Kuje, Junior Secondary School Pykassa, Junior Secondary School Garki and Junior Secondary School Karu are participants in the project.
