The IITA-led Zero Hunger Project took a significant step towards bridging Nigeria’s nutrition gap by conducting a Training of Trainers (ToT) exercise for 29 youth and 27 adults in Ebonyi State from 29 March to 3 April. The 56 participants (four males and 52 females) comprised rice processors, extension officers, restaurant owners, Ebonyi State University staff, women from the Home-grown School Feeding Program, private sector operators (Strategic Seed Limited), staff of the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and community leaders. The training strengthened their capacity in nutrition and value addition for rice diversification and wealth creation.
The main objective of the exercise was to develop the capacities of the national system, private sector, processors, and food vendors in food nutrition and diversity and agripreneurship in the rice value chain. This aims to reduce hunger and promote gluten-free, cheaper, readily available flour for nutritious food.