30% malnourished children in Nigeria embarrassing – Minister

The Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, has lamented the rate of malnourished children in Nigeria, saying it is embarrassing to know that over 30% children are malnourished in the country.
He said the major problem in Nigeria was not so much food as it is lack of nutritional food that Nigerians eat.

Lokpobiri state this last Friday, at a sensitization programme on Biofortified Crops and its various products for behavioural change communication for households held at the ministry premises.
“I am happy to be part of this sensitization program on Biofortified crops, one of the biggest problem we have as a country and as a ministry is to see how in collaboration with other agencies is to see how to reduce the level of malnutrition among Nigerians, particularly the children.

“Because sometimes, it is embarrassing to note that Nigeria has over 30% of children who are malnourished. So we have big task ahead of us and the journey towards reversing that trend is the production and consumption of Biofortified crops.
He said there is no way Nigeria can compete with other parts of the world if the ministry do not collaborate with agencies to continue to improve the production of Biofortified crops.
“Another problem we have is not just the fact that food is not available but whether the food we are eating is nutritious. That is why Nigeria is one of the country with one of the lowest life expectancy. All these are as a result of the food we eat that are not nutritious. So this is a crusade that everybody must join in our own strategic interest.

He further assured that the journey toward the eradication of malnutrition has begun with all certified nutritious food that are being produced.
“ I believe that Nigeria will also change their attitude and begin to eat what is produced in Nigeria, because part of the problems we have is the mindset that anything that is foreign is superior to what we produce here main while they are poisonous.

But now people are looking for made in Nigeria rice because people have realized that the rice produced in Nigeria is fresh but those imported may have been stored for more than 15 years with no nutrition value.
He therefore called on Nigerians to be part of the crusade, saying in the next few years, Nigeria will be able to produce other varieties that are not covered yet.
He assured that the ministry will lead the crusade toward the production and processing of Biofortified crops in Nigeria.

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