Juliet Jacob Ochenje
The United States government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has disclosed that about 3.6 million children are suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) in Nigeria.
It said the figure concentrated mainly in northern states, adding that approximately 50 percent of deaths in Nigerian children under the age of five result from malnutrition.
A statement by the US embassy on Thursday stated a new private sector partnership agreement signed with Emzor Food and Beverages Limited, a Nigerian company to build a medical grade groundnut paste processing facility.
Groundnut paste is an essential ingredient in life-saving Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), a treatment for malnourished children.
The statement added: “Treatment with RUTF successfully brings SAM-afflicted children back from the brink of death by providing vital nutrients.
“After years of using expensive, imported groundnut paste from Argentina and India, Nigeria, through this game-changing partnership, will be able to treat children with locally produced RUTF, a more affordable and sustainable solution that will also create economic opportunities for Nigerian groundnut farmers.
“Dedicated to reducing the number of malnourished children in Nigeria, Emzor and USAID each contributed $1 million to establish the UNICEF-approved groundnut paste processing facility, which will be one of only two on the African continent.”
Speaking at Thursday’s signing event, USAID Mission Director, Dr. Anne Patterson, thanked Emzor Managing Director, Dr. Stella Okoli, for embarking on the partnership and joining forces with the U.S. Government. He said: “Together, we will improve access, availability, and acceptability of RUTF, and ultimately contribute to improved treatment for severe acute malnutrition in Nigeria.
In addition, the increase in demand of local medical-grade groundnut paste production will create new opportunities for local groundnut farmers, serve as a boon to Nigeria’s agriculture sector, and broaden inclusive economic growth,” Dr. Stella Okoli noted in her remarks.
She added: “This partnership highlights the private sector’s important role in addressing Nigeria’s most difficult development challenges. When complete, the plant will produce 400 kilograms of paste per hour, providing a local solution to severe acute malnutrition in Nigeria.”
