Right to Protein campaign, an initiative of United States Soybean Export Council (USSEC), advocating access to protein-rich food sources in South-Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa regions, has launched in Nigeria.
The unveiling held on Wednesday, in Lagos, to announce the commencement of the initiative and formally announce Nigeria’s inaugural Protein Day commemoration slated for Monday.
The nationwide year-long campaign is aimed at promoting healthy living by raising awareness about the importance of protein in the diet.
The Country Representative, USSEC in Nigeria & Sub-Saharan Africa, Dr. Michael David, expressed his excitement over the launch of the ‘Right to Protein’ initiative in Nigeria.
According to him, Right to Protein aims to foster behavioural change among individuals by spreading nutritional awareness about the need for adequate protein consumption for better nutrition and improved public health.
“Right To Protein is working to bring together individuals and institutions who can help drive protein awareness, debunk myths and misconceptions about protein food sources and establish its importance as a critical macro-nutrient for the nutritional wellbeing of people,” said David.
He added, “As a stakeholder, we remain passionate about healthy and productive living hence our desire to be part of this awareness drive about the importance of protein to sound health and productive living while also promoting access to quality protein sources for Nigerians.”
Right to Protein aims to foster behavioural change among individuals by spreading nutritional awareness about the need for adequate protein consumption for better nutrition and improved public health.
Healthy living
The Right to Protein initiative is a response to the growing concern over the lack of protein in the diets of many Nigerians, particularly those in rural areas and in underserved communities across the country.
Protein remains an essential nutrient that is required in the human body to build and repair tissues, support immune function, and maintain overall health.
A survey carried out in 2020 on protein adequacy in Nigeria showed that about half of the country’s population or 45% are protein deficient as they lack access to sufficient protein and thus do not consume the daily recommended grammage.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations recommends minimum per capita daily protein intake of 53.8g, with global daily intake at 64g. However, in Nigeria, the daily protein intake is 45.4g, the Nigerian Protein Deficiency Report 2020 showed.
It is expected that the Right to Protein initiative will help to address this by providing education about the benefits of protein, promoting the inclusion of protein-rich foods in public feeding programmes, and advocating policies that support increased access to protein sources for all.
The initiative will also explore ways to bridge the knowledge gap through various engagement activities and resources as well as partnerships with the country’s top professionals and stakeholders such as nutritionists, chefs, food enthusiasts, influencers, and policymakers to help drive conversations about protein and its importance.
Access to adequate nutrition, including protein, is a human right and all should remain committed to working towards a future where protein is accessible to all.
