The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), through its Strengthening Nutrition Priority Staples (SNIPS) project, has distributed hammer mills to women and youth groups in Kaduna State to enhance the processing of Vitamin A maize into various consumable forms.
Speaking at the distribution event in Zaria, the GAIN’s Senior Project Manager in Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Ehiabhi, reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to promoting the production and consumption of safe and nutritious food.
He stated that ten hammer mills were distributed across four Local Government Areas of Chikun, Lere, Giwa, and Kauru—to support processors in Kaduna.
“We are here today to provide hammer mills to our processors in Kaduna State. These machines will enable them to process the Vitamin A maize they cultivate into different food forms. Our goal is to ensure access to a healthy diet for all, and through this project, we are promoting the production and consumption of biofortified foods,” he said.
Mr. Ehiabhi explained that the initiative, which began in 2021 and is now in its final year, is designed to provide long-term benefits to small-scale processors in the state.
He also emphasized that, the project encourages farmers to allocate 0.4 hectares of their land to biofortified crops, particularly Vitamin A-rich maize, to improve nutrition and food security.
Also speaking, the SNIPS Project Manager for Biofortification, Mr. Lachang Faden, highlighted the broader goals of the five-year project, which focuses on strengthening staple crops enriched with essential nutrients.
“We are promoting Vitamin A maize to combat hidden hunger and malnutrition, particularly among children, women of reproductive age, and the elderly,” he stated.
He further explained that biofortification involves enhancing the nutritional value of staple crops through traditional breeding methods, not genetic modification.
“Vitamin A maize is not genetically modified; it is produced through traditional breeding methods. The aim is to reduce Vitamin A deficiency, which contributes to malnutrition and hidden hunger, especially in vulnerable populations,” he added.
Mr. Faden noted that the project is structured to include 50% youth (aged 18 to 35, according to the West African Youth Charter) and 40% women, who are provided with training in agronomic practices as well as equipment to support their businesses.
A representative from one of the benefiting LGAs, Ibrahim Shehu, urged the recipients to make effective use of the hammer mills for sustainable food production.
Similarly, Kaduna State Desk Officer for the GAIN-SNIPS project, Abdulnafiu Sani, disclosed that the initiative has supported over 9,000 farmers in the past four years by providing complete farming inputs, including 8kg of Vitamin A maize seeds and herbicides.
He added that women and youths were also trained in maize production and processing to promote self-reliance and improved nutrition.
One of the beneficiaries, Malam Sani Shuaibu from Kauru, pledged to use the hammer mills effectively and prayed for the project’s continued success.
Another recipient, Hanatu Iliya Sale, expressed her gratitude to GAIN, stating that the support would significantly enhance food production and economic empowerment in their communities.
The SNIPS project, implemented across 16 LGAs in Nigeria, has so far worked with 90,000 farmers—82% of whom are in Kaduna State—while focusing on supporting 11,000 small holder farmers engaged in biofortified food production.
COV/Aminu Dalhatu
