Blue Band restates Commitment to healthy living as it ends successful National Growth Challenge

L-R: Tea and Spreads Category Manager, Unilever Nigeria, Ms. Vivian Ihaza   and Enugu State Nutrition Officer, Mrs. Henrietta Ugwu   with a cross section of 100,000 children reached during the National Growth Challenge programme at the grand closing ceremony of Blue Band Margarine Sponsored National Growth Challenge held in Lagos

The curtain was drawn on the Blue Band National Growth Challenge amidst excitement on Friday, December 13, 2013 at Sheba Hall, Ikeja, Lagos. To add to the excitement, parents and guests voted to elect the winner of an art competition, which the brand ran as part of activities for the growth challenge.

At the ceremony, Tea and Spreads Category Manager at Unilever Nigeria, Ms. Vivian Ihaza said “We are so delighted at the success of this campaign, particularly with the fact that Blue Band has touched the lives of people through improved access to nutritional knowledge. The challenge was a learning and exciting platform for parents and children, who learnt about proper nutrition and its implication to their overall health. Unilever remains totally committed to healthy living.”
 

L-R:  President, Nutrition Society of Nigeria, Professor Ngozi Nnam, represented by Lagos State Nutrition Officer, Dr. Abimbola Ajayi; Tea and Spreads Category Manager, Unilever Nigeria, Ms. Vivian Ihaza   and Enugu State Nutrition Officer, Mrs. Henrietta Ugwu  at  the grand closing ceremony  of Blue Band Margarine Sponsored  National Growth Challenge held in Lagos

According to Ihaza “Experts agree that for children spreading margarine on bread provides essential vitamins needed for growth and proper development. Blue Band is nutritious with main meals as well as with snacks to enliven children’s lunch boxes.”

Similarly, the Enugu State Nutrition Officer, Mrs. Henrietta Ugwu passionately called on Nigerians to embrace healthy living right from childhood as it will form part of habits that will be passed on from one generation to another. “I encourage mothers on the significance of providing the right nutrition – healthy, varied and adequate diet – for their children and wards in order to help them grow optimally, and demonstrate that right nutrition promotes growth in children.”

The art competition produced 15 national finalists, whose paintings were displayed at the closing ceremony for voting. David Imafidon of Fred Williams Nursery and Primary School, Iju, Lagos was voted the best with 31 votes, while Adegbite Adejire of New Gate Primary School, Ikorodu and Oyinkansola Bada of Lyncrest Primary School, Ikorodu tied up as runners up with 17 votes each. The winners smiled home with Bicycles and Stationery, while their schools were presented with Laptops, Printers, Stationery and Blue Band margarine.

The Blue Band Sponsored National Growth Challenge was launched in October 2013 with the objective of helping over 100,000 pupils between ages 6 – 12 across 400 primary schools (both public and private) in Lagos and Enugu states imbibe good feeding habits.