Abuja: The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Nigeria has unveiled its school-based nutrition promotion programme to strengthen adolescent health in Nigeria. The one-day workshop and teachers’ training held on Thursday in Abuja is aimed at promoting healthier dietary and lifestyle choices among adolescents.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, about 31 per cent, or nearly one in three, Nigerian adolescents aged 10 to 19 are thin or underweight. Furthermore, approximately 55 per cent of adolescent girls suffer from anaemia, with poor dietary diversity and inadequate iron intake identified as major contributing factors.
Mrs. Princess Barry-Chukwu, Programme Coordinator, Nutrition, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Environment, Climate Change and ODA Loans, JICA Nigeria, emphasized that adolescent nutrition is critical to nation-building. She noted that adolescence is an important period for physical and mental development that requires greater attention from stakeholders.
Barry-Chukwu highlighted that adolescence is the second fastest growth period after the first five years of a child’s life, yet it has received little attention. She underscored that nutrition is a significant investment for any government, and Nigeria should focus on it to ensure a productive adult population in the future.
JICA supports nutrition development globally through food-based interventions and the promotion of healthy and diversified diets. Barry-Chukwu stated that the agency focuses on schools as they provide an important platform for learning and behaviour change. The pilot programme, which will run until January, aims to equip teachers with knowledge to promote healthy eating and lifestyle choices among students.
Mrs. Simiat Jumoke-Salau, Home Economics Teacher and JICA Desk Officer at Junior Secondary School, Area 10, Garki, emphasized the important role schools play in promoting healthier eating habits among students. She mentioned plans to encourage students to consume more fruits and vegetables using behaviour-change approaches, as many currently consume mostly junk foods.
Additionally, Mr. Ude Ekele, Deputy Director, Agricultural Research and Development Secretariat, FCT Administration, advocated for every school to develop a garden to promote healthy nutrition among students. Mr. Johnson-John Edache, a representative of the Department of Social Mobilisation, Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB), FCT, urged schools to implement lessons from the pilot programme and sensitise school principals on promoting healthy eating among adolescents.