Worried by the rising cases of malnutrition among children in Lagos State and Nigeria generally, the Women In Dairy Production Association has called on the Federal Government to introduce dairy and milk products in the school feeding programme to check the trend.
President/Founder, of DAIRY4KIDS PROJECT, Rachael Eyitayo Ariori, disclosed this on Friday during a press conference to announce the launch of the project, which was billed to be held on Children’s Day.
She called on the Federal Government to make the initiative a national feeding programme for children, adding: “We want this initiative to be in the national school feeding programme for our children. We are pleading with the Federal Government to look into this.”
The launch of the DAIRY4KIDS PROJECT, according to Ariori, is aimed to, among others, promote the importance of milk and dairy products in children’s lives.
Ariori said that the programme, themed: “Milk and Dairy Products: An Integral Part in Child’s Health and Development,” considers the fact that children are the worst hit by malnutrition in the country.
She said: “We are passionate about taking care of these children because of the statistics we have got so far and that is why this project is very paramount.”
According to Ariori: “Milk and dairy products are an important part of a young child’s diet, as they are good sources of protein, and contain a wide range of vitamins and minerals, including calcium to help young children build bones and keep teeth healthy.”
She, however, lamented that “in some parts of Nigeria, consumption of dairy by children is either too low or non-existent and the low consumption of milk and dairy products is highly disheartening at our various orphanage homes, motherless babies homes, IDP camps, hospitals, and schools.”
The project, DAIRY4KIDS, according to her, aims towards increasing the consumption of milk and dairy products to the children mostly affected by these deficiencies who are living in orphanage homes, IDP camps, motherless babies’ homes, hospitals, and schools by helping to create awareness for these needs to be met and requesting supports from both passionate individuals, local and international donor agencies to purchase milk and dairy products directly from approved companies
According to Ariori: “The programme is designed to promote the importance of milk and dairy products in children’s lives. As appropriate nutrition plays a vital role in a child’s growth, and development, milk and dairy products are rich sources of important nutrients such as calcium, protein, vitamins, and mineral, which are vital for building strong bones, boosting immunity, and supporting overall health.”
She added: “Through interactive workshops, educational activities, and fun games, we intend to raise awareness among children and their families/schools about the benefits of incorporating milk and dairy products into their daily diets alongside launching DAIRY4KIDS PROJECT.”
Ariori, who disclosed that the project targets about 2,000 children in Lagos State, added: “This will be taken from the five locations of the state, including Ikeja, Badagry, Ikorodu, Lagos Island and Epe for the pilot scheme.
“From the reports we got from UNICEF and WHO, we discovered that 37 percent of children are malnourished. The World Bank says that 18 percent of children lack good nutrition and that is why this project is of paramount interest to us because we found out most of the children in orphanage homes, motherless babies’ homes, IDP camps, hospitals, and schools bear the brunt of malnourishment.
“We will talk about the integral part that milk and dairy products play in the lives of children. We know that this is a laudable project that we expect the Nigerian government to look into very soon.”
She said: “In Lagos, we are looking at 2,000 children and this will be taken from the five locations of Lagos for the pilot state.”
On how the association intends to ensure that the products do not go into the wrong hands, Ariori: “As an association, we are determined to
make an impact. We are passionate about making an impact. With technology, it will be monitored. With adequate monitoring and putting a system in the right places, getting pictorial reports and updates, putting technology in place, with our determination and passion, it will not go into the wrong hands.”
She noted that the project would commence in Borno State in the last quarter of the year.
On why they intend to start the project from Lagos State, Ariori said that “being a strategic state, and a place where everyone is represented and a place where this project was conceived, we felt that because of its strategic nature, it is better to begin the project from here.
“We chose Borno because of insurgency and the security challenges that they face there. It has suffered and has a large number of IDPs in Nigeria,” she added.
