IAA takes nutrition interventions to the barracks

20 April 2022

The USAID-funded Feed-the-Future Nigeria Integrated Agriculture Activity (IAA) has flagged off a nutrition campaign focused on improving food diversity and nutrition for families of military personnel in Yola, Adamawa State. Military men of the 23 Armored Brigade and their wives attended the event, jointly organized with the Nigeria Army Officers’ Wives Association (NAOWA) at the Gibson Jalo Cantonment.

At the flag-off ceremony, the Activity displayed improved seed varieties, poultry, cosmetics, and briquettes. The nutrition team also demonstrated several meal production procedures, including producing the signature orange-fleshed sweet potato juice.

In his opening remarks, IAA Market Systems and Livelihood Specialist Bassey Archibong explained that the Activity’s aim in bringing such an intervention to the Barracks is to improve the lives of soldiers’ wives who may not have a steady source of income. He added that the women would be trained in home-gardening and other nutrition-beneficial processes to assist them economically.

IAA Chief of Party Prakash Kant Silwal, who declared the event open, praised the collaboration and hoped that the joint effort would produce lasting financial results for the families at the cantonment. The NAOWA 23 Brigade Coordinator, Mrs Fauzihat Garba, was enthusiastic about the partnership and promised to ensure that the women benefited maximally from the intervention.

The 23 Armored Brigade Commander, Brigadier-General Aminu Garba, was also present at the event to support the women of the cantonment.

Contributed by Joke Fayemi