The House of Representatives has initiated an investigation into the alleged mismanagement of N350 billion in the implementation of the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) project funded by World Bank.
The resolution followed a motion presented by Rep. Chike Okafor (APC-Imo) during the plenary on Thursday.
Rep. Chike Okafor (APC-Imo) raised concerns over the alleged mismanagement and misapplication of the $232 million loan allocated to ANRiN during a motion at the House of Representatives plenary.
According to Okafor, the programme, while well-intentioned, appears to have yielded ineffective outcomes, as reflected in recent nutrition indicators.
“Concerned that the programme so far has been alleged to be ‘water, water everywhere but no water to drink,’ a beautiful programme for solving malnutrition challenges, but it has appeared to produce miraculous and obviously ineffective outcomes,” he said.
Okafor highlighted findings from the 2023/2024 Nigerian Demographic Health Survey, which indicated worsening nutrition-specific outcomes, including an increase in under-five stunting and malnutrition.
Backstory
The Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) programme is a World Bank-funded, performance-based initiative aimed at addressing malnutrition in Nigeria.
The project, established in 2018, focuses on improving nutrition for vulnerable groups, including pregnant and lactating women, adolescent girls, and children under five in 12 states across Nigeria.
ANRiN operates with a $232 million loan to provide quality and cost-effective nutrition services, with a target completion date of December 2024.
Impact across geopolitical zones
The ANRiN programme spans 12 states across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones: Abia, Akwa Ibom, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Oyo, and Plateau.
Despite the significant investment, the programme’s impact remains in question, prompting lawmakers to demand accountability.
Okafor emphasized the importance of evaluating the programme to determine the extent of mismanagement and identify responsible parties.
“An investigation will determine the extent of the alleged mismanagement of funds in the ANRiN programme, evaluate its impact, identify responsible parties, and propose accountability measures for future $50 million interventions,” he said.
Next steps
Speaker Tajudeen Abbas directed the Committees on Nutrition and Food Security, Finance, Aids, Loan and Debt Management to investigate the allegations and report back within four weeks.
The investigation aims to shed light on the programme’s execution and ensure accountability for the funds utilized.
