Household food security and nutrition: Nigeria

Household food insecurity -the lack of access at all times to a sufficient quantity and quality of safe and nutritious food for an active and healthy life can cause under-nutrition and micronutrient deficiencies, which affect every age group throughout the developing world. Whatever the reasons for food insecurity agroecological, socio-economic or multisectoralfood-based interventions hold the key to addressing and solving the problems in both the short and long term. In Nigeria, a nutrition survey conducted by the Government of Nigeria and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in 1993 revealed that Kano state in the northern savannah zone of the country was facing worsening food insecurity. It had the highest prevalence in the country of stunting or chronic under-nutrition among children under the age of five and alarming statistics for micronutrient deficiencies of iron, vitamin A and iodine in adults and children. This had led to a high incidence of malnutrition-related diseases, including marasmus, kwashiorkor and goitre, which were not only undermining health but hindering agricultural production in a region traditionally considered the bread basket of Nigeria. A project supported by the Technical Cooperation Programme of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) was launched in September 1996 to improve household food security (HFS) and community nutrition in Kano state through a comprehensive food-based action and training programme. By mid1998, a four-year food-based action programme and training package for multisectoral extension workers had been developed. It promises to achieve sustained improvement in community nutrition by reducing household food insecurity and increasing per capita calorie intake by 35 percent. A key to the success of the programme was a consultative planning process comprising three tiers of society, community, experts and policymakers, involved in appraisal, development and implementation. This approach strengthened intersector cooperation in identifying problems and finding solutions. As an initial step, a community participatory rural appraisal (PRA), was carried out in three agro-ecological zones of Kano state: the dry and wet Sudan savannahs and the Northern Guinea savannah. This exercise improved underSHARING INNOVATIVE EXPERIENCES 5 /AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE SOUTH 21 3 standing of the HFS and nutritional situation, identified inadequately exploited potentials and opportunities and recommended food-based interventions for ;mplementation in the three zones and other areas with similar agro-ecological characteristics. A total of 1 71 8 households, averaging ten persons each, were covered, of which approximately 80 percent were found to be food-insecure. Factors leading to or exacerbating the situation included fragmentation of land resulting from population growth, inadequate access to fertilizers, improved seed varieties or pesticides and limited access to labour-saving farm and food processing implements. The PRA results formed the basis of technical discussions in February 1997 at the National Workshop on the Development of a Food-Based Action Programme for Household Food Security and Nutrition Improvement. Sector-specific planning sessions were subsequently held with each implementing government sector. The draft action programme was discussed by policymakers from line and coordinating ministries at a one-day workshop. Their comments were taken into account in preparation of the final document, which reflected the extent of household food insecurity and malnutrition in Kano state. The government quickly approved the action programme. The action programme addresses four key areas: creating awareness and disseminating information and educational materials on the magnitude and socio-economic consequences of household food insecurity and malnutrition and how these can be minimized using existing food resources; increasing food production through increased productivity and efficient utilization of produce; minimizing, if not eliminating, the health factors that undermine food-related nutritional gains; coordinating efforts and monitoring progress towards improvement of food security and nutrition in the state. Parallel to development of the action programme, two training sessions were organized for trainers and extension workers. Participants from all sectors involved in HFS and nutrition improvement were trained in: basic and new concepts in nutrition; crop, livestock and dietary diversification; management of small ruminants; common forms of malnutrition in Kano state; diarrhoea prevention and treatment; participatory planning and implementation of HFS and nutrition interventions. 21 4 CHAPTER 2 / HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY AND NUTRITION: NIGERIA A training manual in English and Hausa was produced through a consultative process to facilitate the training of extension workers and the communities. Implementation of the action programme began in January 1998 with the creation at state level of the Kano State Household Food Security and Nutrition Planning and Coordinating Body. At ward, village and local governmental levels, HFS and nutrition planning and coordination committees will be formed. Existing community associations, self-help groups or village development committees are a suitable entry point for community mobilization. One of the lessons learned through this innovative experience was that deviations from planned project activities often have to be made to address community concerns. In the Kano project, it was recognized that lack of drinking water and access to agricultural inputs such as fertilizer and seeds had to be given immediate attention if any progress was to be made in establishing the consultative process. The experience of using such a process to strengthen collaboration in foodbased interventions serves as a useful model. Prior to the project, there was no reliable information on the scale of household food insecurity and malnutrition in the area. State activities in HFS and nutrition were limited and uncoordinated. Although identifying problems and finding solutions did take longer through the consultative process, it accelerated approval by policymakers. INTRODUCTION Household food insecurity, under-nutrition and micronutrient deficiencies are found throughout Nigeria, with important differences based on agro-ecology, access to government services, rural or urban location and socio-economic factors. A nutrition survey conducted in 1993 by the Federal Government and UNICEF showed that the northern savannah zone, in which Kano state lies, had the highest prevalence in the country (51 percent) of stunting or chronic malnutrition among children under the age of five. The survey highlighted the magnitude of micronutrient deficiencies, in children estimated at 15 percent for iron, 16.5 percent for vitamin A and 39 percent for iodine. Micronutrient deficiencies were also observed among women. In response to the worsening HFS and nutritional situation in Kano state, the Federal Government in consultation with the Kano state Government requested assistance from FA0 to develop an action programme on HFS and nutrition improvement. A Technical Cooperation Programme was initiated in September 1996, with the objective of developing a comprehensive food-based action and training programme that would bring about sustainable improvement of nutrition in the state. Kano state lies in northern Nigeria. The southern part of the state is in the Northern Guinea savannah, which has annual rainfall of between 600-1 200 mm. SHARING INNOVATIVE EXPERIENCES 5 /AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE SOUTH 21 5 The central and northern parts are in the Sudan savannah, where annual rainfall is 300-600 mm. Average rainfall for the state is 840 mm over a period of 90-1 10 days, depending on location, from the end of May to mid-September. Mean annual temperatures range from 30 to 3 5 C , with maximum temperatures at the peak of the dry season from March to May. The surface area is estimated at 20 400 km2. According to the 1991 census, the population is 5.64 million, with a 2.9 percent annual growth rate. Fifty percent of the population is female. Population density is 277 inhabitants per square kilometre, making the state one of the most densely populated northern states of Nigeria. Agriculture is the main economic activity, occupying over 75 percent of the population.