Nestlé Promotes Nutrition Education, Organizes Nutrition Quiz competition For Kids in Ogun, FCT
L-R: Bisi Adigun, Education Officer, Basic Education Unit, Federal Ministry of Education; Eunice Kodak, Senior Nutrition Officer, Federal Ministry of Health; Edidiong Peters, Public Affairs Specialist, Nestlé Nigeria PLC; Dr Florence Uchendu, FCT Chapter Chairman, Nutrition Society of Nigeria; Alhaji Aboki Danladi, Dep. Director School Health, FCT Universal Basic Education Board.
Gadosnasko Science Primary School, Gwagwalada, Abuja and St Paul’s Primary School, Orile Imo, Ogun State emerged winners of the nutrition quiz competition organized by Nestlé Nigeria PLC.
The Nutrition Quiz competition which aims to test the children’s knowledge and practice of healthy nutrition is designed to enhance recall and retention of in-class lessons. It is part of Nestlé for Healthier Kids (N4HK), a flagship initiative of the company which aims to help 50 million children globally, lead healthier lives by 2030.
In Nigeria, N4HK is a school-based nutrition education program that equips children with knowledge to make better nutrition choices from an early age for a healthier future.
Twenty schools from the three senatorial districts of Ogun State and ten schools from the six area councils in the FCT participated in the Nestlé for Healthier Kids (N4HK) Nutrition Quiz Competition which held simultaneously in Ogun State and the FCT for seven days.
The participating schools where quizzed on topics curated from the N4HK students’ manual covering nutrition, healthy hydration, hygiene and physical activities. This process was led by the Nutrition Society of Nigeria who also executed the competition from school stage to the finals.
Speaking on the objectives of the competition, the Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Manager, Nestlé Nigeria, Mrs. Victoria Uwadoka said “Nestlé for Healthier Kids is aligned with our goal of helping children live healthier lives by raising awareness of the benefits of healthy nutrition and an active lifestyle. The Nutrition quiz competition drives home these lessons to boost recall and practice.
We are delighted with the performance of all the participating schools this year. The learners proved without doubt that they had indeed understood the various topics.
The competition was intense, so the winners do deserve the acclaim. I commend our partners, the Nutrition Society of Nigeria who anchored the quiz, I celebrate the teachers who prepared the children so well, and of course FCT Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB) and Ogun State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) for their continued commitment to raising a healthier generation.”
In his comments, the Chairman of Ogun state chapter of Nutrition Society of Nigeria, Prof. Oluseye Onabanjo said, “Malnutrition among school age children is a major public health concern. Improving the quality of children’s foods and continuous education on feeding practices in the early years of life are cornerstones in addressing the challenge of malnutrition.
Cross section of winners of the quiz competition
The partnership between Nestlé Nigeria and the Ogun State Chapter of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria promoting healthy eating and lifestyle habits through the school-based nutrition education program is highly commendable and value adding for children in the state”.
On his part, the Deputy Director, School Health, FCT UBEB, Alhaji Aboki Danladi said, “We are proud of the outstanding performance of the children in the competition. The Board appreciates Nestlé for the consistent investment in the education and welfare of children over the years. The Nestlé for Healthier Kids Program is a laudable project, positively impacting on our children”.
Felicia Abraham, a primary 5 student of Gadonasko Science Primary School Gwagwalada speaking on behalf of her teammate and her school said, “I really enjoyed the Nestlé for Healthier Kids program as it taught me useful lessons for maintaining good health. The other schools did so well that we were a bit worried. We are very happy and proud of ourselves for winning this competition on behalf of our school”.
Mrs Abimbola Olatunji, a primary 5 teacher from St Paul’s Primary School, Orile Imo, Ogun State expressed her delight with the performance of her students given the hard work they put into preparations for the competition. She appreciated Nestlé’s commitment to the welfare of children in Ogun state.
Other winners of the competition are Salvation Army Primary School, Edu Agbara, Ogun State and Model Primary School, Bwari, Abuja in second place and Methodist Primary School Abeokuta and LEA Primary School, Jiwa, Abuja in third position.
All the winners took home exciting prizes from the organizers including sports gears for the teams and sporting equipment for their schools.
Through the Nestlé for Healthier Kids program, the company continues to make progress on its commitment to unlock the power of food to enhance quality of life for everyone today and for future generations.
Relaunched in Nigeria in 2018, Nestlé for Healthier Kids is supported by the Ogun State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), FCT Universal Basic Education Board, Nutrition Society of Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Education and the Federal Ministry of Health.
Nestlé Nigeria is one of the largest food and beverage companies in Africa. For over 58 years, the company has been delighting consumers around Nigeria by consistently delivering high quality nutritious food.
With a staff strength of over 2,200 direct employees, 3 manufacturing sites, 7 branch offices and a head office located in Lagos, the company produces and markets several iconic brands including NESTLÉ PURELIFE, GOLDEN MORN, MILO, MAGGI and NESCAFÉ.
Nestlé’s purpose is to unlock the power of food to enhance quality of life for everyone today and for generations to come.
