…marks dieticians day with plea for passage of bill to regulate profession and employment of dietitians in correctional centres nationwide.
The Institute for Dietetics in Nigeria has called on Federal Government to involve professional dietitians in the planning and implementation of its policies for food security.
National President, Institute for Dietetics in Nigeria, Barrister Tajudeen Olutope Ahmed made the call in a statement to commemorate this year’s dietician day.
The Institute for Dietetics in Nigeria (IDN), being the foremost national professional body of Registered Dietitian–Nutritionists and Registered Dietetic Nutrition Technicians in Nigeria, adopted the idea of National Registered Dietitian–Nutritionist Day celebration in 2021 from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that pioneered the celebration in 2008. Essentially, this year’s celebration is the 3rd of its kind in Nigeria by members of the Institute.
Registered Dietitian–Nutritionists are health professionals who study food, nutrition and dietetics and use their knowledge to provide relevant information, identify and solve nutritional problems in people. The Registered Dietetic–Nutrition Technicians on the other hand are health experts that work hand–in hand with Registered Dietitian–Nutritionists to develop nutritional plans to promote health, treat illness or prevent disease.
In a message to mark this year’s event, Barrister Ahmed noted that though government has started some policies, it would achieve better results if experts in the field of nutrition are involved.
He said:”As a professional body of Registered Dietitian–Nutritionist, we salute the various food security policies being embarked upon by the federal government and various state governments as one of the plausible means of tackling nutrition crisis in Nigeria.
” However, we are of the strong opinion that there is need for more involvement of Registered Dietitian–Nutritionists and Registered Dietetic–Nutrition Technicians by the authourities to drive the policies to fruition.
“As a matter of fact, there is no way the food utilization segment of food security could be attained or achievable without input of Registered Dietitian–Nutritionists and Registered Dietetic–Nutrition Technicians as the major drivers.
“We therefore call on all tiers of government to employ at least one Registered Dietitian–Nutritionist to cater for one thousand individuals. By this ratio, all health care delivery facilities, primary, secondary and tertiary institutions are expected to have Registered Dietitians in their employment.
Barrister Ahmed stressed the need for government to consider the employment of Registered Dietitian–Nutritionists in all correctional facilities and boarding schools as well.
“We laud the recent efforts of the World Bank at providing about $12bn as relief package to help African countries, including Nigeria, cope with food insecurity. We call on the federal government to seek for collaboration of professional bodies like the Institute for Dietetics in Nigeria (IDN) in the appropriate deployment of the funds towards the tackling of food shortage.
“In this way, adequate priority will be given to the provision of essential foods that will boost the health of the citizenry.
“The need to put in place an enabling statute for the regulation of the practice of Nutrition and Dietetics is long overdue. Nutrition and Dietetics as a profession is very key and important to medical practice just like it is equally vulnerable to the invasion of quacks.
Barrister Ahmed congratulated members and in particular women folk stressing their importance to a better society.
He urged members to reach out to women and more members of the public to teach them more about what to eat, how to ear and when to eat so as to ensure a health society.