The Federal Government is set to strengthen nutrition interventions in Nigeria by prioritizing the establishment of nutrition departments in designated federal ministries and enhancing funding for nutrition activities.
This commitment was reiterated by Vice President, Sen. Kashim Shettima, during a briefing on the action framework for nutrition in Nigeria.
Sen. Shettima emphasized the importance of addressing critical challenges and scaling up nutrition efforts nationwide.
The establishment of nutrition departments
He pledged support for measures to create nutrition departments in key ministries and advocated for increased advocacy campaigns and funding for nutrition-related activities.
- Highlighting the significance of financing in addressing nutrition issues, the Vice President urged stakeholders to set ambitious targets and engage the private sector in advocacy efforts.
- He emphasised the need for collective involvement to drive progress in nutrition initiatives across the country.
- Furthermore, Sen. Shettima encouraged state governments to participate in UNICEF’s matching fund program to enhance private sector support for nutrition interventions at the grassroots level.
Acknowledging the Vice President’s leadership in advancing nutrition initiatives, Special Assistant to the President on Public Health, Uju Rochas-Anwukah, emphasized the importance of decentralized coordination and accountability in nutrition activities.
She outlined the committee’s action plan focused on coordination, financing, prioritization, and scaling up interventions.
Dr. Ahmad Abdulwahab, Senior Health Advisor at the Nigerian Governors Forum Secretariat, commended Sen. Shettima’s commitment to driving nutrition interventions and recommended the implementation of the Strategic Roadmap for Transformative Nutrition and Food Security in Nigeria to address scaling challenges.
The meeting also included representatives from various sectors, including the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Nutrition Society of Nigeria, UNICEF, World Bank, Dangote Foundation, and Civil Society Scaling up Nutrition in Nigeria.
