Niger Activities
Smart Food is working with the Government of Niger to promote millets to the consumers and chefs, and encourage agribusiness with millets.
First Lady of Niger, Dr Lalla Malika Issoufou, was named as Smart Food Ambassador for her vision and leadership in nutrition and the promotion of traditional food crops such as millet during the 1st Edition FESTIMIL. Read more
2nd Edition FESTIMIL
Niger celebrated the second annual International Millet Festival (FESTIMIL) during 3-4 March 2020 at the Academy of Martial Arts in Niamey, Niger. Organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, in partnership with the Tattali Iyali Foundation; the Ministry of Cultural Renaissance, the Ministry of Health, the High Commission for the 3N Initiative, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique du Niger (INRAN) and ICRISAT, the festival is led by the First Lady, Dr Lalla Malika Issofou, a Smart Food Ambassador. FESTIMIL 2020 consisted of meetings, demonstrations, culinary workshops, contests and panel discussions led by eminent researchers and millet value chain professionals from Niger and other Sahelian countries. Smart Food Master Classes were also organized for the Presidency and hotel chefs as well as students.
The Smart Food initiative organized two major training courses on various ways of using millets and sorghum.
A Master Class for students of the Institut international des métiers de l’aviation, du tourisme et de l’hôtellerie (IMAT) conducted on 5 March introduced about 35 hotel professionals to millet-based recipes.
Another Smart Food Master Class for about 25 chefs from the Presidency in Niger and Niamey hotels, during which they were introduced to the Smart Food concept and recipes based on millet and sorghum, was held on 7 March. “I am impatient to go back to my hotel to start using millet in the menu,” said Mr Agbakla Kodjo Anani, Chef, Noom Hotel, Niamey, Niger. “The things that I learned during this training are very simple but good and easy to practice. I especially liked the millet ice cream. A very simple way to start diversifying our diet and a modern way of cooking millet,” said Mrs Akilou Haoua, caterer.
1st Edition FESTIMIL
Key partner with the Niger government to launch the inaugural National Millet Festival (FESTIMIL) to raise awareness on the importance of millets as part of promoting local products.
Millets are a staple food crop in Niger and particularly in the Sahel region and are consumed by a majority of the population. FESTIMIL brought together the development partners and the international community to support the development of millet value chain in Niger by attracting investments to attain food and nutritional security through millets.
The exhibition also brought together the farmers and consumers and they were sensitized on the nutritional importance of millets in solving malnutrition and anemia. Read more
Smart Food Master Class for Students
ICRISAT partnered with the “Institut International des Métiers de l’Aviation du Tourisme & l’Hotellerie” to provide a Smart Food Master Class to 25 students of this school. Dienaba Traore, culinary blogger and CEO of Gabougouni organized this session and trained the student in both the nutritional aspects and different methods of preparing pearl millet. Read more
