metro
THE Nigeria Food Vendors Bio-Data Collation Agency, an NGO, on Wednesday held a re-training and forensic verification for its officers to ensure proper food handling in the country.
Mr Nicholas Karimu, Director General of the agency, at the end of a four-day training in Abuja, said knowledge acquired from the exercise would go a long way to address bad level of food safety and hygiene practices.
Karimu said the Agency was dedicated to all food vendors Bio-Data and identification number, for easy traceability system of any food poisoning and mishandling cases in the country.
According to him, the National Assembly has considered the report of the Committee on Healthcare Services to fully establish the agency which is at its third reading at the NASS.
“The importance of this exercise cannot be overemphasised as part of our transformation stages into the agency for hygienic food consumption in the country.
“This training has exposed the officers to new knowledge that would enable them to carry out successful food vendors Bio-Data capturing.
“It will also assist health workers in adopting modern techniques of preservation to reduce food poisoning accross the nation.
“As your training ends today, I am confident that all relevant information, knowledge and skills needed to carry out this task have been delivered into your hands,” he said.
Karimu said since inception in 2014, the organisation had been aggressively promoting food hygiene standards practices all over the nation with a specific mandate of ensuring good food for better health.
He stated that the importance of regular training and national screening could not be overemphasised as the agency was dedicated to food vendors’ Bio-Data capturing to apply the best hygiene and safe food handling standard practices in Nigeria.
“Our commitment to promoting health by setting food hygiene standard practices in Nigeria is making progress as National Board of Trustees recently presented another bill to establish the agency.
“As we await the third reading, we humbly call on all the House of Representatives members to critically look at the various benefits such as job creation, youth empowerment and safe food for the entire populace,” he said.
The DG, however, called on food related sister agencies to put selfish and personal interest aside and support the bill as the country would fully benefit from its overall impact.
He added that the bill, if finally passed, would enable the country to have an Agency fully responsible for regulating, training and capturing of all food vendors, to help address food poisoning and mishandling cases. (NAN)
C.E
Tags: Nicholas Karimu Nigeria Food Vendors Bio-Data Collation Agency
