In preparation for the 2017 Nutritious Food Fair (NFF), HarvestPlus, an international organisation committed to tackling hidden hunger across the world and the organiser of the 2017 Nutritious Food Fair, has revealed the distinguished personalities who will be speaking at the event.
Information made available to CEOAfrica revealed that the NFF 2017, which is themed: Scaling-Up Nutritious Food Choices: Engaging Everyone, Everywhere, will be graced by the presence of dignitaries and guest speakers from Nigeria and different parts of the world who have accomplished various landmarks in their different fields of endeavours.
The NFF 2017, which will be hosted by the Enugu State Government, is scheduled to hold at Michael Okpara Square, Enugu State for three days, starting on the 24th October and ending on the 26th of October, 2017. The guest speakers for the event are the 2016 World Food Prize winners – Marie Andrade, Robert Mwanga, Jan Low and Howarth Bouis.
Guest Speakers at the 2017 Nutritious Food Fair
Other distinguished personalities scheduled to speak at the event include; Director of Operations, HarvestPlus, Wolfgang Pfeiffer; Head of Partnership for Delivery, IITA, Alfred Dixon; Head Nutrition, HarvestPlus, Erick Boy; Country Manager, HarvestPlus Nigeria, Paul Ilona; CEO Saheel Foods, Ndidi Nwunelli.
Others are; CEO Niji Foods, Kolawole Adeniji; Leader, Progressive Women in Agriculture, Indiana, Nwokike; Acting Director General, National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Kunle Obayan; Program Director, Agrainnovate West Africa, Folorunsho Olaniyan and the Director General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Garba Abari.
According to the Country Manager of HarvestPlus, Paul Ilona, major highlights of the event include; Exhibition of nutrient-rich crop varieties and their food derivatives; Exhibition of commercially processed nutritious foods; Display of local technologies for cassava and maize processing; Cooking, quiz and dance competitions.
Other attractions at the event are; Awards to best farmers, processors, marketers and advocates; Raffle draws; Live performances by top musicians and comedians; Screening of award-winning movie; ‘Yellow Cassava’ with appearances of some Nollywood celebrities, as well as an attempt to set Guinness World Record for the largest nutritious cassava dish in the world.
It would be recalled that CEOAfrica reported last week that the Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Brigadier General Paul Boroh expressed interest in participating in the upcoming NFF 2017 as a result of his passion for agriculture.
General Boroh commended HarvestPlus for the initiative, adding that the event is a welcome development that will propel stakeholders and policy makers into investing in agriculture. He further appreciated the employment creation plan of the food fair.
According to HarvestPlus, the NFF 2017 will bring together stakeholders in International and National Research Institutions, Agriculture, Health, Education, Science, Technology, Trade and Commerce, including Government Representatives, Development and Donor Agencies, Small, Medium and Large Scale Food Industries, Input Dealers, Seed Companies, Researchers, Farmers, Processors, Consumers, Entertainment and Media, among others. An estimated 5,000 persons will participate in the event.
