KWSG FLAGS OFF NUTRITION WORKSHOP FOR LG OFFICIALS

(A group photograph of the Officials and the participants after the workshop)

... organises a day training workshop on balanced diet, locally sourced food items

The Kwara State Government has flagged off a one-day capacity building workshop on Food and Nutrition for Local Government officials and committee members.

The aim of the workshop is to sensitize the people at the grassroots level and maximise the use of locally sourced food items in lieu of chemical induced spices.

The Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Community Development, Hon. Abubakar Abdullahi Bata disclosed this at Bode Sa'adu, Headquarters of Moro Local Government and Kwara North Senatorial District. 

The Commissioner, who was represented at the occasion by the Director, Personnel, Finance and Supply, Mr. Micheal Oyelowo thanked the present administration under the leadership of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (CON), for its foresight and leadership acumen and for bringing back life into the nutrition programme, and other similar programmes with direct impact on the well-being of the citizens.

Driving home the importance of a healthy nutrition, Hon. Bata acknowledged the great impact of the present administration in taking this initiative to the grassroots through the committee for the benefit of the rural dwellers. 

(A cross section of participants at the workshop listening with rapt attention.)

He noted that the programme, which had long been abandoned, was resuscitated by the present administration owing to the great role it has to play in enhancing the lifestyle of Kwarans.

Hon. Bata implored the participants to maintain the confidence reposed in them by increasing the tempo of effective and well coordinated awareness campaign to the hinterlands.

Earlier, the Director, Community Development of the Ministry, Mallam Abdullateef Mustapha acknowledged the huge role the present administration is playing at ensuring that every Kwaran is nourished and lives a healthy lifestyle. 

Mustapha assured the participants that the training will be highly educative and explicit, adding that the resource persons are well grounded  in the topics and urged them to make good use of the opportunity.

In his opening remarks, the Director of Personnel Management, Moro Local Government, Elder Olalekan Arinde expressed his appreciation to Governor AbdulRazaq for his efforts at improving the health and wellbeing of the people. 

A Nutritionist and one of the facilitators, Mrs. Aisha Hussein emphasized the importance of a balanced diet through the use of locally sourced food items, noting that malnutrition affects the physical and intellectual growth of children and mothers.

She reiterated further the importance of a healthy living through balanced diets, especially for mothers, so that they can adequately nurture their babies through exclusive breastfeeding and the need  to make do with available local foods.

Fielding questions from the participants, Mrs. Hussein  encouraged them to embrace the old practice of home gardening, which she explained would grant them access to fresh vegetables at no cost, while the school gardening will teach the young ones the importance of greens in our daily diet.

In his closing remarks, the Deputy Director of Community Development, Mr. AbdulRazaq Babatunde appreciated the participants and implored them all to take back to the people the knowledge that would assist them to have a healthy living through the use of locally made nutritious meals.

Participants drawn from the Five Local Government Councils in the Senatorial District include HOD Health, Development Officers, State Community Development Officers, Local Government Nutrition Focal persons, among other stakeholders.

Abdulganiyu Bukola

Assistant Press Secretary

Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Community Development.