Association donates hand washing facilities in Kebbi State

On Sep 18, 2023

The Association for Promotion of Food Safety and Improved Nutrition (APFSAN) in collaboration with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) has provided hand washing facilities to food vendors in order to reduce level of food contamination in the state.

Mr Ibrahim Isyaku, the State Coordinator of GAIN, stated this at the inauguration of the hand washing facilities and sensitisation campaign in Birnin Kebbi central market on Sunday.

He said: “The awareness objective is to reduce level of contamination of food the citizens are consuming on daily basis. The APFSAN had approached EatSafe Feed the Future agency funded by USAID under GAIN to provide washing facilities for food vendors in Birnin Kebbi which was granted an approval by USAID. The objective is to promote food safety. As you are aware majorities of health issues are coming out as a results of unhygienic food consumed by people. Even if the food is nutritious , not prepared on hygienic way, the food could be contaminated,” he added.

Isyaku added that the project was about to minimise poor handling of food in the society.

“That is what we are trying to reduce. And one of the effective way of reducing contamination with food is through hand washing. It is the most effective way to eliminate any form of pathogens from the food we want to consume. That is why food vendors, market management requested APFSAN to support them with the washing machines,” he said.

He said that the APFSAN was inaugurated by Eatsafe Programme in Nigeria, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on Sept. 8, 2022.

Isyaku also explained that the objective of establishing the APFSAN is to promote, educate, sensitise and create awareness on food safety in markets in the state.

“The association encourages and improves the demand for and consumption of safe and nutritious foods by consumers in the state. It organises and executes programmes, workshops and seminars on food safety among farmers, food vendors, consumers, processors and other actors in the food value chain. Food borne diseases can affect nutrient intake and metabolism. This can impact a variety of human health outcomes and have lifelong effects. Many foods nutrient dense such as vegetable and animal source foods can carry food borne pathogens,” the coordinator said.

Earlier, Mr Joel Aiki, the Permanent Secretary state Ministry of Agriculture, commended APFSAN for its support in providing the facilities and for creating awareness to marketers, consumers and the entire society on safe and hygienic food.

“We thank you for partnering with the state government and for adding a lot of value to the people of the state. The government will continue to be happy because resources available yo government could not cater for everything. When we have interventions from private sector, it would go along way I’m complementing the efforts to f the government. The facilities will help to wash your hands by washing your hands, you have eliminated 90 per cent of the pathogens that cause illnesses,” he said.

Alhaji Aminu Umar, the General Manager of Birnin Kebbi Central Market, thanked the NGO for the provision of the facilities and sensitising the general public on significance of safe foods for optimal nutrition and well being in the state.

NAN/Wumi