Kwara State governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Wednesday launched a statewide nutrition campaign, codenamed “Eat A Rainbow”, as part of activities marking the 2025 World Nutrition Day.
The campaign is an innovative crusade of the state government to improve intakes of balanced diets across families.
The governor described the initiative as a people-centered effort that reflects his administration’s commitment to improve the wellbeing of the people and build on its successes in the subsector.
“This campaign is more than just about fruits and vegetables. It is a call to action — a reminder that the choices we make today directly shape the future of our children, families, and communities,” he said.
Represented by the commissioner for Finance Dr Hauwa Nuru, the governor added said daily consumption of diverse, colourful fruits and vegetables amounts to taking a strong stand against malnutrition, chronic diseases, and preventable illnesses.
AbdulRazaq added that the “Eat a Rainbow” campaign was rooted in science and compassion that recognised that sustainable health lies in prevention, education, and empowerment.
Kwara First Lady, Prof. Olufolake AbdulRazaq who was represented by the Commissioner for Special Duties, Hon. John Bello, commended the government for promoting healthy citizenry through various initiatives and right investments in the UNICEF Child Malnutrition Fund, among other nutrition supporting platforms.
Prof. AbdulRazaq encouraged the people of the state to cultivate a habit of eating balanced diets to live a healthy life.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina El-Imam, said the ‘Eat a Rainbow campaign” would reposition the nutrition of the people for good.
She added that the state is committed to further reducing the percentage of children mapped for malnutrition, adding, however, that the efforts of the administration explain the downward slope of the malnutrition curve in the state.
She recalled that between 2013 and 2019, UNICEF exited Kwara for lack of continuity in the payment of counterpart funds, El-Imam said this triggered malnutrition crisis in the state.
“It is verifiable in public records that our malnutrition indices started faltering cumulatively since this period.
Specifically, the proportion of children suffering from wasting or who have low weights for their heights rose from 6.5% in 2013 to 7.3% in 2018. These were lost years in the nutrition journey for our mothers and children,” El-Imam said.
“Today, this figure is down to 6.1 % of under-5 children in Kwara State, meaning an estimated 50,744 children need immediate support from wasting, while the national figure is 8.0%. Even with better indices than the national average, we want to bring down the figure,” she added.
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