Aquatic Foods Can Fill Nutrition Gap- Expert

Aquatic foods have been discovered to have considerable potential in helping to fill nutrient gap and improve the quality of diets in Nigeria.

The Country Director, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) Nigeria, Michael Ojo, has said embracing aquatic foods would help Nigeria regain the the 1.5 billion dollars it losses in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) annually to micronutrient deficiencies.

Speaking at the launch of Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy Brief with the theme ‘Transformation and Future of Aquatic Food Systems in Nigeria’, Ojo said that Nigeria is plagued by a double burden of malnutrition, as undernutrition exists alongside overweight, obesity, micronutrient deficiencies, and associated diet related non-communicable diseases.

The launch was organised by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in partnership with Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition (GLOPAN) and other partners.

This is just as he lamented that dietary inadequacies are one of the most pressing reasons for people experiencing multiple nutrient deficiencies and subsequent morbidity and mortality in Nigeria.

“Nigeria loses 1.5 billion dollars in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) annually to micronutrient deficiencies, and dietary inadequacies are one of the most pressing reasons for people experiencing multiple nutrient deficiencies and subsequent morbidity and mortality in Nigeria,”he said.

The GAIN’s Country Director further stated that the Nigerian government is making efforts to transform the food systems to increase the production of safe and nutritious foods, but the diversity of aquatic foods and their potential to contribute to sustainable healthy diets and address the burden of malnutrition has been largely overlooked.

“Fish is particularly important in the diets of low-income households. Unlike other types of animal source foods, dried small fish are often sold and purchased in small quantities, making them particularly accessible to consumers with limited purchasing power and refrigeration.

Many studies have highlighted the nutritional importance of small fish, particularly when consumed whole with bones and viscera intact, for poor populations throughout the world.

“The process for developing the policy brief on “Transformation and Future of Aquatic Food Systems in Nigeria” started with a National Dialogue on Transformation and Future of Aquatic Food Systems in Nigeria held on July 18, 2021, as part of the series of dialogues that informed Nigeria’s food systems transformation pathways delivered at the UN Food Systems Summit.

He said leading experts across Nigeria who participated in the event proposed great ideas and innovations with the potential to catalyse and energise the fisheries and aquaculture sector,which also provided the foundation for the launch of the policy brief.

NP/ Lateefah Ibrahim

Lateefah Ibrahim