Nutrition and agriculture stakeholders have called on the Nasarawa State Government to adopt and institutionalise the Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) nutrition model into the state’s nutrition policy to ensure sustainability and improved public health outcomes.
They made the call at a Policy Dialogue on Nutrition Sustainability in Nasarawa State, organised by the Federal Government/International Fund for Agricultural Development-Value Chain Development Programme (FG/IFAD-VCDP) on Friday in Lafia.
Speaking at the event, Dr Eunicc Adgidzi, the State Programme Coordinator of FG/IFAD-VCDP, represented by the Knowledge Management and Communication Officer, Mr Samson Jonah, said the dialogue was aimed at driving policy direction and sustaining nutrition interventions beyond the lifespan of the programme.
Adgidzi explained that nutrition was a key thematic area of the VCDP, alongside climate change, financial inclusion, youth and gender mainstreaming.
She said the programme had over time discovered unhealthy consumption patterns among farmers, who often sold nutritious produce and consumed poor-quality food, contributing to frequent illness.
“We are redirecting their mindset towards consuming nutritious and balanced meals. Our records show that farmers are healthier now because they understand what to eat at different times of the day,” she said.
Adgidzi stressed the need for a clear policy framework backed by budgetary provisions to promote nutrition at all levels, particularly among young people.
She noted that the VCDP had introduced school gardens to instil nutrition consciousness in children early, describing the initiative as critical to reversing declining health outcomes in communities.
According to her, the programme was working closely with the Chairman, House Committee on Agriculture at the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Dr Peter Akwe, to develop a draft policy direction that would ensure the sustainability of the VCDP nutrition model in the state.
She added that assurances had also been received from the Ministry of Finance, Budget and Planning to integrate VCDP nutrition data into the state’s broader development framework.
Also speaking, Mr Umar Tanko-Tunga, the Commissioner for Agriculture, represented by the Director of Nutrition in the ministry, Mrs Keziah Waziri, commended the impact of the programme, particularly among women farmers.
She called for the continuation of the VCDP nutrition initiatives, urging trained women to cascade the knowledge to other groups.
“Nutrition is life. When you eat well, you won’t be visiting hospitals frequently,” she said, reaffirming the ministry’s support for nutrition-related activities.
In his remarks, Isah Osama, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance Budget and Planning and Chairman, State Committee on Food and Nutrition, assured stakeholders that the state had the structures to sustain the gains of the programme.
Represented by Abdullahi Ismaila, Deputy Director, Planning and Nutrition Desk Officer, Osama said that the achievements of the VCDP aligned with the state’s five-year development plan and would be communicated at both state and national levels.
Also speaking, Dr Peter Akwe, Chairman, House Committee on Agriculture, described nutrition as distinct from food availability, emphasising the importance of balanced diets.
He pledged the commitment of the legislature to support nutrition interventions through adequate budgetary allocation, monitoring, and legislation.
“For sustainability, this programme must be backed by law. When there is a standing law, nutritional activities will not die even after the programme ends,” Akwe said.
He added that adopting the VCDP nutrition model would help address malnutrition among children, pregnant women and households, while promoting food sufficiency in the state.
(NAN)
