Nestlé Nigeria marked Children’s Day 2023 with children in the 30 Nestlé for Healthier Kids beneficiary schools, by providing them with learning materials.

The company has been at the forefront of efforts to help children live healthier, happier lives through research, product innovation, food fortification, nutrition education and promotion of an active lifestyle.

The company in a release said, it collaborates with stakeholders to reach children every year through several initiatives including Nestle for Healthier Kids (N4HK), a school-based nutrition education program. The program aims to help children imbibe healthy habits including good nutrition, good hygiene practices, healthy hydration, and active lifestyles through adequate physical activity.

Jamil Agbonika, a primary 5 pupil from Gadonasco Science Primary School Abuja, is one of the children currently benefitting from the program, which reaches 8,000 children annually.

Expressing his delight, Jamil who aspires to be a medical doctor in the future said, “I have enjoyed the N4HK teachings in my class. I have been taught about the different classes of food, food hygiene, food nutrients and digestion as well as physical exercises. I have also learnt that I need to eat less of snacks and more of fruits and vegetables, exercise more and drink lots of water to be healthy now and in the future”. “My favorite topic is hygiene and the need to keep germs away. I have shared this lesson with my friends and family members, and they now know the importance of hand washing and proper washing of food before cooking and eating”, he added.

Speaking on Children’s Day, Nestlé Nigeria’s Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Manager, Mrs. Victoria Uwadoka said, “I wish all Nigerian children a very Happy Children’s Day! This annual event gives us the opportunity to celebrate them and to reflect on how to enhance their health and wellbeing.

At Nestlé, we believe that Nigerian children have the potential to demonstrate the greatness of this country. Attaining the nation of our dreams begins with prioritizing and advancing the development and welfare of children. We are therefore, delighted to collaborate with our partners to prepare them for the future through the Nestlé for Healthier Kids initiative.

We trust that the learning materials we are providing them with today will go a long way towards making their learning experience more exciting”. May 27 of every year is set aside to raise awareness of the problems faced by children in Nigeria, including adequate nutrition, access to healthcare, welfare, and education.

Nestlé Nigeria PLC is dedicated to enhancing the teaching and learning environment in public schools around her operating locations. In the past three years, the company has invested in the provision of infrastructure in nine N4HK beneficiary schools.

The company has renovated classrooms, provided water and sanitation facilities and donated relevant educational materials to learners. The company looks to increase the impact and scale of its interventions to reach even more schools in the coming years.

Relaunched in 2018, N4HK is supported by the Federal Ministry of Education, the Federal Ministry of Health, Ogun State Universal Basic Education Board, FCT Universal Basic Education Board and the Nutrition Society of Nigeria.