From Ibrahim Kano
For many farmers in Kano and across northern Nigeria, this year’s 11th Nutritious Food Fair was more than just an exhibition it was a platform of hope and learning. The event, held to mark the 2025 World Food Day, brought together over 2,000 participants, with farmers emerging as the main focus of discussions on how agriculture can improve both nutrition and livelihoods.
Organized by HarvestPlus Solution in collaboration with the Kano State Government and development partners, the fair showcased how smallholder farmers can play a pivotal role in fighting malnutrition by cultivating biofortified crops those enriched with essential vitamins and minerals.
Read Also: World Food Day 2025: Making food available, affordable, and sustainable in Nigeria
Read Also: World Food Forum: Nigeria pushes for stronger South–South agricultural collaboration
Dr. Yusuf Dollah Fuad, Country Manager of HarvestPlus, emphasized that rural farmers have a unique advantage since most of what they consume comes from their own farms. “By growing nutrient-enriched varieties such as vitamin A maize, iron beans, and zinc rice, farmers can feed their families better while also earning more in the market,” he explained.
Farmers at the fair also learned about improved seeds, fortified fertilizers, and better storage and processing methods aimed at reducing post-harvest losses. Many said the fair offered them practical insights into how agriculture can go beyond food production to address nutrition challenges at the household level.
Similarly, Dr. Adiya Ode, Country Representative of Propcom+, commended farmers for embracing new practices that link agriculture with nutrition. She described the fair as a “celebration of farmers’ resilience and innovation,” adding that investing in them remains central to building a food-secure Nigeria.
Representing the Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Nuhu Kilishi disclosed that the federal government has been distributing fortified seeds and fertilizers particularly to women farmers to promote the cultivation of more nutritious crops across the country.
Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, represented by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Labaran Nuhu, reaffirmed the state’s commitment to supporting local farmers through active nutrition programmes in all 44 local government areas. “We believe that empowering farmers with knowledge and improved inputs is the surest path to sustainable nutrition,” he said.
For the farmers who attended, the fair was not just about showcasing produce it was about redefining agriculture as a tool for better health, stronger communities, and economic resilience.
