Eight Students Win FrieslandCampina WAMCO Awards at 48th Nutrition Science Confab

FrieslandCampina WAMCO, makers of Peak and Three Crowns milk, awarded cash prizes to eight young Nigerian nutritionists for their excellent scientific research presentations at the just concluded 48th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria.

The awardees are all M.Sc and PhD students below age 35. They are Oyewole Mary Oyeronke, Chukwu Chianaka Chinecherem, Obayi Chinonso Victoria and Duru Chinenye Ogechi. Others are Eguavoen Valentina Imara, Agbaje Gloria, Oputteh Peace Ochuwa and Udechukwu Stephanie Chinazar The five-day conference themed “Nutrition Challenges: What Actions for Sustainable Development?” was held at the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State.

FrieslandCampina WAMCO also championed fitness routines for the delegates. The company organised 15-minute twice-daily Three Crowns milk-sponsored aerobic sessions, thus drawing attention to the need for everyone to stay fit and healthy with the right nutrition and daily exercises. Participants enjoyed a 30-minute cardio session on the last day of the conference.

President of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, Dr. Bartholomew Brai, observed that nutrition awareness is still very low in Nigeria and it is a serious drawback on economic productivity and national development.

Keynote speaker at the conference, Mrs. Ada Ezeogu, a nutrition specialist at UNICEF suggested ways of tackling Nigeria’s nutrition challenges such as improving infant and young child feeding practices, teaching mothers on healthy diets and lifestyle.

In a communiqué issued after the conference, the Nutrition Society of Nigeria called on government to ensure adequate nutrition staffing in ministries both at state and federal levels, and increase budgetary allocations to address these issues.