VCDP takes fight against malnutrition to schools with nutrition clubs, gardens in Niger
Priscilla Ben
The Federal Government/International Fund for Agricultural Development (FG/IFAD) Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) has begun establishing nutrition clubs and school gardens in schools across the nine participating local government areas of Niger State as part of efforts to tackle malnutrition among students.
The initiative is designed to equip students with practical nutrition knowledge and encourage the cultivation and consumption of micronutrient-rich foods that support healthy growth and development.
VCDP Nutrition Officer, Hajiya Halima Abubakar Mahmud, said the programme was introduced to catch children young by teaching them the importance of balanced diets and healthy eating habits.
She said many people suffer from undernutrition, overnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies despite having enough food because they lack knowledge of how to combine available foods into balanced meals.
According to her, deficiencies in essential micronutrients such as iron, vitamin A and zinc contribute to stunting, poor cognitive development and other health challenges.
“We want these children to become nutrition ambassadors. Through the clubs and gardens, they will learn to grow nutritious crops, eat healthy foods and take the knowledge back to their families and communities,” she said.
Mahmud said the programme would provide participating schools with barbed wire fencing, gardening tools and seedlings of orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (OFSP), moringa, banana, plantain, soursop, spinach, okra, pepper and other nutrient-rich crops.
She added that the initiative is being implemented in all nine VCDP participating local government areas to encourage schools to establish sustainable gardens and improve nutrition among students.
Principal of Government Girls’ Day Secondary School, Kuta, Mrs. Binta Musa, described the intervention as timely, saying it had exposed teachers and students to the importance of nutrition and home gardening.
She said the school would maintain the garden, adding that the students would not only improve their diets but also acquire skills they could replicate at home and use to generate income.
Vice Principal (Academics), Mr. Kazeem Bello, assured VCDP that the school management would nurture the garden and ensure its sustainability.
Head Girl, Sarah Maman, and Garden Prefect, Fatima Mamman Nuhu, also pledged to maintain the garden and ensure the crops thrive.
