THE Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, Mr Bitru Nabasu, has urged Nigerian workers to adopt a healthy dietary habits so as to ensure productive workforce and nutrition security for the country.
Nabasu gave the charge while declaring open a one-day sensitisation workshop on “Health Benefits of Good Nutrition” for the staff of the ministry in Abuja.
He said that the workshop was organised to promote awareness on health benefits of good nutrition and healthy dietary practices that would build a strong productive workforce.
He said: “over the last decades, the Federal Government has put in place various incentives, food value chain and policies to tackle the vast issues surrounding food insecurity in Nigeria” adding that “it has become imperative to shift our thinking from the concept of food security to the concept of nutrition security”.
He noted that the extent of hunger and food insecurity in Nigeria were of public health concern and called for proper information on the consumption of food that provided a diversified, balanced and healthy diet.
Mr. Nabasu urged the participants to make the best use of the opportunity and utilise the knowledge gained at the workshop to promote habits that would boost their health as well as their productivity.
Earlier, the Director of Health and Biomedical Science in the ministry, Dr Manasseh Gwaza, said that the workshop was organised to sensitise staff of the ministry on the importance and benefits of adequate nutrition to health, improved well-being and productivity.
According to him, health and wellbeing were two sides of the same coin which meant both were very necessary to live a healthy and happy life and build a strong and productive workforce, adding that “without proper health and good nutrition, we cannot have a feeling of physical, mental and social wellbeing.”
He called for the creation and promotion of an environment that emphasises healthy nutritious diet and physical exercises.
and then