Lagos dropped a fortified rice brand called Eko Rice that's packed with iron, zinc, and a bunch of B vitamins after setting up a blending machine at their mill. Agriculture adviser Oluwarotimi Fashola said the state is one of the few mills in the country that can actually fortify rice with micronutrients, and they're putting it into school feeding programs for pregnant women, kids, and older people. The World Food Programme and TechnoServe are backing the whole thing.
The global fortified rice market is supposed to hit 36.6 billion dollars by 2033, and Lagos wants a piece of that action since malnutrition is still messing people up. Permanent secretary Emmanuel Audu mentioned the government is throwing money at better processing gear to keep up with demand. WFP technical specialist Melas Adoko said the fortified rice will improve school meals across Nigeria.
The global fortified rice market is supposed to hit 36.6 billion dollars by 2033, and Lagos wants a piece of that action since malnutrition is still messing people up. Permanent secretary Emmanuel Audu mentioned the government is throwing money at better processing gear to keep up with demand. WFP technical specialist Melas Adoko said the fortified rice will improve school meals across Nigeria.
