CARE Nigeria, in collaboration with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), FAcE-PaM, and the Kebbi State Ministry of Health, joined the global community to commemorate the 2025 World Food Day at Nadaniya Primary Health Care Centre, Badariya, Birnin Kebbi.
The event was organised under the CASCADE project to raise awareness on food security, nutrition, and sustainable food systems in line with this year’s theme, “Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future.”
World Food Day, celebrated every October 16, was established by the United Nations to mark the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and to spotlight efforts toward ending hunger and malnutrition worldwide.
The Kebbi celebration featured sensitisation sessions, cooking demonstrations, and health talks designed to promote healthy eating habits, good nutrition during pregnancy, and disease prevention.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Umar Faruk, Nutrition Focal Person for Birnin Kebbi, emphasised the importance of World Food Day and encouraged community members to embrace balanced diets and healthy lifestyles. Participants also received branded T-shirts and hijabs to commemorate the occasion.
Delivering a presentation titled “Food Insecurity Due to Climate Change,” Dr. Ibrahim Sani Senchi of the Faculty of Agriculture, Aminu Bello Fodio University, noted that climate change—through droughts, floods, and other environmental stresses—has intensified food insecurity. He, however, highlighted that agriculture remains a key pathway to achieving food sufficiency and urged participants to utilise locally available food resources to improve their families’ nutrition.
A live cooking demonstration was also conducted by a certified health educator, who prepared balanced, low-cost meals such as rice with gboma sika leaves, dambu with moringa leaves, kwado, awara from soybeans, and dan wake. Participants tasted the dishes and learned how to replicate them at home using affordable, locally sourced ingredients.
Participants described the sensitisation sessions and demonstrations as highly educative and impactful, commending CARE Nigeria, GAIN, and their partners for empowering communities with practical nutrition knowledge.
Key outcomes of the event included improved community awareness on food security, enhanced understanding of healthy diets, and strengthened collaboration among stakeholders promoting sustainable nutrition in Kebbi State.
The celebration concluded with a group photograph of participants, facilitators, and organisers.