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As part of activities to marking the World Nutrition Day 2025, Kwara State Government has unveiled an innovation tagged “Eat A Rainbow Campaign”, to improve food diversity and promote good and balance nutrition in the state.
Unveiling the Programme in Ilorin the State capital, Kwara State Governor, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, said the Eat A Rainbow initiative, reflects the the commitment of his administration to to improving health and wellbeing of the people, and not just in the area of fruits and vegetables.
Governor Abdulrazaq, represented by the Commissioner for Finance, Dr Hauwa Nuru, described the initiative as a call to action for the people to ensure that the nutritional choices they make also reflect on the lives of their children.
Dr Amina El-Imam
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina El-Imam, stated that good and balanced nutrition is the cornerstone of health and wellbeing among the people.She stated that the recently released nutritional demographic and health survey of 2023 and 2024 shows that the nutritional status of children under five years across Nigeria needs more attention.
Dr El-Imam said the Kwara State Governor, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, has directed the state ministry of Health to tackle multiple forms of malnutrition.
Represented by the State Commissioner for Special Duties, Mr John Bello, Wife of the Governor, Prof. Olufolake Abdulrazaq, said the need to make deliberate effort towards ensuring that meal tables at homes, school and other institutions, reflect the rainbow of food has become a mandate.
In an address, Kwara State Director for Public Health, Dr Oluwatosin Fakayode, charged residents to embrace the “Eat A Rainbow Campaign” for their health and wellbeing, by making conscious effort to add more nutrients to their daily diets.He said the step would help them invest in their future by reducing the risk of chronic diseases.According to the State UNICEF Coordinator, Mr Eyitayo Emmanuel, the United Nations, WHO represented by UNICEF in Kwara, recognizes the central role of nutrition in achieving universal health coverage and sustainable development, particularly among women and children.
He added that WHO reaffirms its unflinching commitment to supporting the state government and partners in strengthening food system and promoting behavioral change in the area of nutrition.
A lecturer in the Department of Home Economics and Food Science, University of Ilorin, Prof. Fausat Kolawole, identified causes of malnutrition to include shift from traditional foods to Western- styled fast foods such as noodles and snacks with high salt and sugar content.
Dr Kolawole, who emphasized that the development has led to triples burden of of malnutrition, micronutrients deficiency and rising cases of obesity, called on Nigerians to consume more of well processed foods and seasonal fruits.
Highpoint of the event is the exhibition of variety of foods with their nutritional values, before participants drawn from nursing and pregnant mothers, schools, market associations and members of the traditional institution.
By Sola Rotimi
