As part of activities to mark the African Day Celebration, the ULTIMATE DESTINY UPLIFTERS FOUNDATION (A.K.A UDUF Africa) has organized training workshop for entrepreneurs in agri-business, ANAMBRA PEOPLE reports. The event which took place at Onitsha Business School brought together young farmers from different locations to deliberate on the future of agriculture as it concerns Africa.
Africa Day is celebrated annually on 25th May to commemorate the founding of the Organization of African Unity same day in 1963, which later metamorphosed to African Unity (AU) in 2002. This year’s celebration became peculiar and significant considering the fact that it focused on nutrition and the importance of addressing malnutrition and food insecurity in Africa.
In his welcome address, the founder of UDUF Africa, Dr. Chinedu Smart Ezuma dwelt on the theme of this year’s commemoration, ‘Strengthening Resilience in Nutrition and Food Security on the African Continent’ and painted a gloomy picture on the effect of malnutrition in Africa. He stated that malnutrition remains a major cause of death of millions of Africans. According to him, malnutrition is not only about lack of food, but a combination of other causes which include dirty environment, lack of access to health services, clean drinking water and inadequate feeding practices.
Speaking further, he maintained that UDUF Africa decided to organize the workshop to seek ways the organization would be able to contribute its own quota and add value to the African nutrition project thereby assisting in mitigating the effect of food insecurity in Africa particularly in Nigeria.
One of the resource persons, a lecturer at Nwafor Orizu College of Education, Nsugbe, Comrade Udechukwu Rebecca Ogochukwu expressed worry about the toll malnutrition is taking in Africa and government’s inability to proffer sustainable solution to the menace. She stated that snail farming could be a tool for improving nutrition and food security on the African continent and urged participants to key into this highly profitable agricultural venture.
Another resource person, Mrs. Chiamaka Juliet Ibedu, CEO Franray Healthy Foods LTD believed that one of the major factors that contribute to malnutrition and food insecurity is poor soil condition in most African countries and advised farmers on other innovative ways of cultivation like hydroponic technology which is a soilless system of cultivation that adopts other medium for cultivation instead of planting on soil.
Participants in the workshop were elated for learning new and improved ways of agricultural practices which would be helpful in curbing malnutrition and food insecurity on the African continent.
Highlight of the workshop was presentation of certificate and taking of group photograph.
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