By Chioma Obinna

In a bid to reduce the incidences of anaemia related disorders among Nigerian women and teenage girls, Unilever’s biggest brand Knorr weekend flagged off its campaigns aimed at reducing the prevalence of iron deficiency anaemia in Nigeria. The Knorr’s Green Food Steps targets 50,000 mothers and daughters who will practice the new cooking habits in Ijebu Ode and Amaigbo.

L-R: Mr. Yaw Nsarkoh, MD Unilever Nigeria; Professor Ngozi Nnam, President, Nutrition Society of Nigeria and Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, Knorr Ambassador at the Follow in My Green Food Steps Symposium organised by Unilever in Partnership with the Nutrition Society of Nigeria in Lagos.

This is coming on the heels of the 2014 Global Nutrition Report which found that almost half (49 per cent) of women of a reproductive age in Nigeria are anaemic. Also, according to a dietary diversity assessment done in six Nigerian states, the majority of Nigerians are not consuming enough foods that are high in iron.

The assessment further showed that only 38 percent eat fruits and vegetables, including leafy green vegetables on a daily basis while 33 percent consume meat daily.

The campaign which identifies anaemia as a major public health problem is making nutritious cooking more desirable, easy to understand and afford as part of its social mission to improve the health and happiness of a billion people by unlocking more flavour and goodness from everyday food.

Speaking at the official unveiling of the programme in Lagos, President, Nutrition Society of Nigeria, Professor Ngozi Nnam, explained that Vitamin and Mineral deficiencies are among the largest public health challenges facing the country right now.

“Our health system is already overburdened, so we need to educate people on how they can help prevent deficiencies through healthy diets.” She said to champion nutritious cooking, Knorr will help drive behavioural change via introducing an intervention programme – ‘The Green Food Steps’ – focused on educating mothers and daughters on the importance of an iron-rich diet through influencing their cooking habits.

Managing Director, Unilever Nigeria, Mr. Yaw Nsarkoh said cooking habits are deeply rooted but “we know that mothers pass recipes on to their daughters, so by educating them on the need for iron-rich ingredients we can drive behaviour change in the next generation. By incorporating leafy greens and the Knorr fortified stock cubes into recipes, the programme will help mothers improve the nutritional value of everyday recipes.”

Representative of WellBeing Foundation, Toyin Saraki said teenage girls and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to anaemia. She said the Knorr initiative can really have a positive impact on maternal health in Nigeria, which is among the worst in Africa. The campaign which focuses on “Green Food Steps” consists of three simple steps: toss greens into stews, stir them in, and crumble the Knorr iron fortified cube for a more nutritious dish.

The aim is that these steps will demonstrate that it is easy for people to change their cooking habits without compromising on flavour, time, or cost. Speaking, Knorr Ambassador, Omotola Jalade Ekeinde said she joined the programme, because as a mother of teenage girls, she feel particularly touched by the issue.

“It’s nice to be able to raise awareness about iron deficiency anaemia and its consequences. This is a serious issue in Nigeria for many mothers and teenage daughters, who need more iron for development. If we can persuade Nigerian women to make these small, yet powerful changes to their diet, there will be a positive impact on the well-being of not just themselves, but that of their family and ultimately Nigerian society in the long-term.”

“The Knorr social mission takes a holistic approach, not only ‘Fork’ – championing nutritious cooking, but also improving livelihood of the most affected groups – ‘Fortune’ and helping smallholder farmers- ‘Farm’ To improve the livelihood of women.