We’ve no info about safety, nutritive value of FG’s school feeding programme – Prof Afolabi, NSN boss

From CHUKS EZE, Enugu

The Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN), cannot give any information about the safety and nutritive value of the federal government’s school feeding meals because the body has never monitored the programme since it was introduced by the present administration.

NSN President, Professor Wasiu Afolabi, stated this in Enugu while fielding questions from journalists at a press conference tagged “The Impact of Insecurity and Covid- 19 on Soaring Prices of Foods in Nigeria,’ adding that NSN has not been involved in the programme since it came on stream.

The media parley was part of programmes lined up for the 51st Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of NSN, currently holding in Enugu, where the group had lamented the increasing malnutrition and under-nutrition among Nigerians, especially children, due to insecurity and Covid-19 pandemic.        

Professor Afolabi noted that although the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs was currently indicating interest to partner with NSN, but that the council had got official claims of the nutritional and safety values of foods being shared to pupils across the country from the media just like other Nigerians.

“About what they are doing currently, what you are hearing (in the media) is what we are hearing. They want to partner with us now, particularly in the aspect of monitoring and evaluating the impact of their programmes.

“We are hoping to create opportunity for them to speak to us before the end of the conference, to tell us how much they have done and how far they are going. We are a professional body and NSN is open to discussions and collaboration with all stakeholders to solve problems.

“We have the capacity, knowledge and skills to monitor what they are giving to children in those schools; to measure the portion sizing and benefits of the foods because, if we do not do that, vendors can do whatever they like and different states can do whatever they like since it is a collaborative efforts between the federal and state governments.

Earlier in his address, the NSN boss had blamed the soaring prices of foods in the country to the double challenges of insecurity and Covid-19 pandemic and called on all stakeholders to ensure that adequate food system is in place for a better nourished and healthier nation.

Professor Afolabi, who also decried rising inflation and price instability in the country, however urged the federal government and relevant agencies to urgently fashion ways to end the development.

He further said: “There is an urgent need to ensure price stability before the situation becomes deplorable.

“The rising inflation has adversely affected the profitability of producers and is a major contributor to the low export penetration of made-in-Nigeria goods in the international market.

“Increase in food prices have been a consistent major cause of fear and concerns among Nigerians especially the poor and vulnerable groups in the communities.  Soaring food prices have striking consequences of hunger and malnutrition.

“The number of severely malnourished children is climaxing and food availability at markets is declining, especially for fresh perishable foods such as fruits, vegetables and animal sourced foods.

“To cope, majority of people are forced to reduce their food intake, consume more carbohydrate food at the neglect of protein, pulling out of children from school for work and sale of key productive assets.

“The Nutrition Society of Nigeria wishes to appreciate the efforts of government in introduction of safety net programmes but strongly advocate that there is the need for re-engineering of these safety net programmes for more impact while also improving the provision of critical community services to enhance households’ nutrition and wellbeing”.

The NSN leader was flanked at the conference by other top shots of the group who also fielded questions from journalists on various issues.