Aimiede Naomi OJIEFOH

This study assesses the influence of nutrition on mental development of school aged children in Easan West l. G. A. Edo State. Four research questions were asked and answered during the study using frequencies and percentages. The survey research design was adopted for this study; this is because the data is collected from a sample population with specific characteristics. The population of the study comprised of teacher from junior secondary schools in Esan West Local Government Area of Benin City, Edo State. Out of this population one hundred and fifty (150) sample was selected from the total population using randomly sampling technique. The instrument used to collect data for the study was fifteen items self-structured questionnaire. The instrument for the data collection was personally administered by the researcher to the respondents. The researcher explained to the respondents how to indicate their views on each item. On the basis of the findings made in the study, it was concluded that proper nutrition is a fundamental factor influencing the mental development of school-aged children. Nutritional deficiencies negatively impact cognitive function, academic performance, and overall well-being. The study also established those socioeconomic disparities significantly affect children's access to adequate nutrition, thereby creating an unequal learning environment. The researcher recommends that government and relevant stakeholders should ensure the implementation and sustainability of school feeding programs to provide children with balanced meals that support cognitive development. Also, the researcher recommends that regular nutrition education programs should beborganized to educate parents on the importance of a balanced diet and how to preparebaffordable yet nutritious meals for their children