The Niger State Government has pledged to strengthen support for the cultivation and promotion of bio-fortified crops as part of a broader strategy to combat malnutrition and improve nutrition outcomes, especially among children and women.
The commitment was announced by the Permanent Secretary of the Niger State Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Mathew Ahmed, during an advocacy visit by the Niger State chapter of the Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) in Minna.
Ahmed said the ministry is prioritising nutrition-sensitive agriculture by scaling up the production of bio-fortified crops enriched with essential micronutrients such as Vitamin A and Zinc.
He noted that deficiencies in these nutrients contribute significantly to poor growth, weakened immunity and other health challenges among vulnerable populations.
The Permanent Secretary identified key varieties being promoted to include zinc rice, zinc millet, Faro 71 and Faro 72 rice, Vitamin A cassava, maize, rice and orange-fleshed sweet potatoes.
According to him, the ministry is partnering with HarvestPlus to ensure farmers have access to improved seed varieties and technical support.
Ahmed said the state government is also exploring strategies with CS-SUNN to drive awareness and adoption of bio-fortified crops at community level, adding that increased production and consumption would help reverse poor nutrition indices in the state.
As part of structural reforms, he disclosed that plans have been concluded to establish a dedicated department for nutrition and food safety within the ministry.
He also highlighted the importance of school and home gardens in improving dietary diversity and household nutrition.
Speaking earlier, the Secretary of CS-SUNN in Niger State, Victoria Mathew, who represented the State Coordinator, Aisha Wakaso, said the organisation sought the ministry’s collaboration to reduce the high burden of malnutrition in the state.
She described agriculture as central to solving nutrition challenges, stressing that access to safe and nutrient-rich food is key to achieving better health outcomes.
She further appealed for government support toward the release of the Child Nutrition Fund to strengthen nutrition interventions in the state.
