Embrace Fortified Rice, Stakeholders Advise Nigerians At Argungu Cooking Competition
From Ayodele Ajoge, Birnin-Kebbi
Nigerians have been called upon to embrace the opportunity offered by the Global Alliance for Integrated Nutrition (GAIN) and the World Food Project (WFP) for bringing the fortified rice advocacy and campaign formally to the door step of rice consuming populace in the country.
This call was made in the ancient town of Argungu in Kebbi State, by various experts drawn from food related Organisation like NAFDAC, SON, etc, who participated at the five days events at the instance of GAIN, WFP, Federal and Kebbi State governments who are the major stakeholders.
The cooking demonstration tagged ‘macro rice fortification cooking’ led by Mrs. Beatrice Usman Kwerei and top Chefs in the State expressed that rice being a staple food produces a lot of meal derived from it, hence the need to take the nutrition value of it step further by the macro fortified rice.
In his speaker at the occasion, the permanent Secretary, State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Joel Aiki, who represented the Commissioner of Agriculture, stated that the journey of bringing scour to rice eating has been a long one before today.
Mr. Aiki said macro nutrient is very important to the body for the purpose of balance diet, adding that Kebbi State is the highest producer of rice in the country, producing 4.3 million of rice per annum.
Earlier In his opening remarks, the facilitator of the programmes who flew into Birnin-Kebbi from Lagos, Professor Oluwatosin Adu expressed that Kebbi State being the hub of rice production in Nigeria was unanimously chosen as venue to kick start the fortified cooking programmes.
Prof. Adu maintained that the idea behind this campaign programmes was to bring awareness to the Nigerian populace the difference within ordinary rice and and the macro fortified rice after cooking and taste.
In his speech, the State Coordinator of GAIN, Mr. Seun Elere, stated that 23 Schools have been selected to participate at demonstration ground in three places, e.g two Schools in Birnin-Kebbi and one in Argungu.
Elere stated further that, 390 Teachers and pupils are expected to participates with two Teachers each from 23 Schools as well as representatives of Parents.
Pointing out that, the cooking will centered on cooking fortified and non fortified jolof rice, and cooking of fortified and non fortified rice and beans all together to bring their differences out.
