From Olanrewaju Lawal,Birnin Kebbi
The National Coordinator of the Scaling Up Nutrition Business Network (SBN), Ms Ibiso King-Harry has disclosed the network would train business owners on basic nutrition and food safety in the Kebbi State.
King-Harry stated this at the two-day training of the employees businesses in Birnin Kebbi on the aim to improve their knowledge and understanding around basic nutrition and food safety. According to her, “the SUN Business Network mobilises business to act, invest and innovate in responsible and sustainable actions in emerging markets to improve the access to and consumption of nutritious and safe food for all people.
“The SUN Business Network provides a neutral platform to broker partnerships and collaboration between business and all actors on nutrition at a regional, national and global level. It is convened by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) in Nigeria.
“As one critical part of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement, the SUN Business Network aims to engage and mobilise business at a global and national level to act and invest responsibly in improving nutrition.
“In a collective effort to end malnutrition in all its forms, the SUN Business Network also works alongside partners from government, civil society, United Nations agencies and donors,” she said.
She explained that, the network had engaged with key stakeholders at the Sub-national levels in different States to conduct the basic nutrition and food safety training.
“We have done it, so far, in Kano, Lagos, Plateau and Cross River States, and we are doing it now in Kebbi state.
“We expect that at the end of the training more businesses will improve their understanding of nutrition and on their food safety processes and that will lead to reduction of food borne illnesses”.
“We are also expecting businesses to improve in their contribution to nutrition in Nigeria, and create more awareness in the communities they serve and to their consumers as well,” King-Harry said.
In his remarks, Alhaji Garba Ibrahim–Geza, the Kebbi state Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, said that the ministry had a very important role to play with the SBN and GAIN in their efforts to improve food safety and nutrition in the state.
“Our ministry has a link with the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs); we are monitoring them in any issues, and we invite them whenever such a training is to take place,” he said.
The commissioner enjoined the participants to cascade same training to their cohort traders and use it to also process nutritious and safe food.
One of the participants, Firdausi Kabir, a poultry farmer, said that the workshop had exposed her into understanding the difference between food nutrients and nutrition as well as processing techniques that would minimise nutritional loss or enhance nutrient value.
“It has also helped me to understand and identify opportunities for business within the food system,” she said.
Another participant, Alhaji Abubakar Muhammad, Vice President of the National Association of Small Scale Medium Industries, said that, “the workshop has helped me to know the list of the primary food sources for key nutrients and causes and dangers of under and over-nutrition.”
He called on the participants to utilise the training to expand and create more opportunities for their businesses.