Adequate nutrition of infants crucial to achievement of SDGs in Nigeria ― Don

A professor of food science and technology, Mojisola Oyarekua has stated that adequate and effective nutrition of infants are crucial to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) in the country.

The professor who revealed this while delivering the fourth inaugural lecture of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) titled ‘ Economic Potentials of Under-Utilized Staples for Sustainable Infant Nutritional Requirements in Nigeria’ added that malnutrition could lead to infants losing out in attaining their full potentials in the future.

Oyarekua who said infants could die due to ailments occasioned by malnutrition advised parents that after breastfeeding for six months, complementary food which she said must contain calories and proteins should be introduced for the infants.

According to her, ” Adequate nutrition of infants is very crucial to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Nigeria. Malnutrition in infants can lead to future physically and cognitively challenged infants that set them behind throughout their lifetime.

“Undernourished infants shave lower resistance to infections a less resilient immune system and are more likely to die from common childhood ailments.”

She lamented that due to the influence of culture and tradition, many Nigerian staple foods are under-utilized for infant consumption, “because it does not encourage their use as infants complementary food.”

The professor of food science and technology warned that parents and guardians must not discard the act of breastfeeding for infants and concentrate on overloading them with so much of nutrients, saying this act could cause infant obesity.

To avoid contaminated food for infants, she advocated the need for proper and efficient packaging by putting food items in safe containers.

“In a number of instances, food can be contaminated due to unsafe packing in containers that were previously used for pesticide but we’re not adequately washed before being re-used,” she said.

Oyarekua advised the government at all levels to introduce infant food legislation which will be upgraded at regular intervals and that there is a need for evaluation of traditional processing of infants complementary foods.

She further recommended that ” laboratories in faculties of agriculture of higher institutions in Nigeria should be upgraded to full food processing industries for production, quality control, packaging and distribution to consumers.

“There should be community-based educational nutrition interventions by government. This should include nutritional counselling by verbal audiovisual to provide adequate information to mothers on complementary foods and weaning practices.”

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abayomi Fasina commended the inaugural lecturer for what he described as her deep research work on the topic, saying it would help in no small measure to prevent avoidable deaths of infants due to malnutrition in the society.

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