N’Assembly, Groups Call for ability, Funding Boost to Combat Malnutrition  6p684f

   •Says hunger, food insecurity a time bomb  5q2v25

Kasim Sumaina in Abuja 

The National Assembly, Cooperative Assistance for Relief Everywhere (CARE – Nigeria) and the Global Alliance for improved Nutrition (GAIN) have urged the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency address the increasing hunger rate and food insecurity in the country. 

The groups also called for ability and funding boost to combat malnutrition in the country.

The Chairman, House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, Hon. Chike Ofakor, while speaking at a Legislative Convening for Jigawa, Nasarawa, Kebbi and Bauchi state, hinted that Nigeria has developed and implemented several nutrition policy documents and frameworks since the advent of the current democratic dispensation in 1999. 

Okafor, at the event in Abuja with the theme, “Strengthening Policy Implementation and Action for a Resilient Food System to Improve Food and Nutrition Security” noted that the success or otherwise of such well conceived policy document, often internationally best-practice aligned policies can best be interrogated in the context of Nigeria current nutrition outcomes. 

He added that that key measure of such outcomes is the 2023/2024 National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS), which highlighted notable reversals in key nutrition indices like Under-5 malnutrition, stunting, wasting, and maternal anaemia in most states in Nigeria, including Bauchi, Jigawa, Kebbi and Nasarawa States.

In the light of the foregoing he opined, “one can evidently postulate that our repeated efforts over the years, including the from development partners, have not yielded the desired outcome over time.”

Okafor, in his address at the Catalysing Strengthened Policy Action for Healthy Diets and Resilience (CASCADE) project for 

improved nutrition in Jigawa, Nasarawa, Kebbi and Bauchi States and aims to improve the resilience nutrition situation of women of reproductive age and children in the states of implementation, added: “Through our mandate, we hope to bring about not just more budgetary allocation for nutrition specific and nutrition sensitive interventions at national and sub-national levels, we also will ensure that there is more nutrition for the available money through strategic, multi-level oversight in all the 774 LGAs of Nigeria.

“Current Land scape Nigeria has various national nutrition policies and frameworks like the National Multi-sectoral Plan of Action for Food and Nutrition (NMPFAN 2021-2025), National Agricultural Policy, National Policy on Food and Nutrition, National Agriculture Technology and Innovation Policy (NATIP 2022-2027). 

These policies are well aligned to international frameworks like the UN SDGs, among others. 

The extent to which these policies have been implemented remain doubtful, given our penchant as a government to botherless about what is happening outside Abuja, while the development partners focus more on workshops and other process oriented initiatives, with minimal implementation taking place in our various wards and LGAs across Nigeria,” he said.

On her part, Acting Country Director, CARE – Nigeria, Jennifer Orgle, in her open remarks, stressed that with widespread food and nutrition insecurity, in Nigeria the four- and half-year CASCADE project was launched in 2023 to contribute to ending malnutrition for 1.1 million women of reproductive age and children under the age of 5 in Nigeria. 

According to her, “Since its inception, CARE and GAIN and our partners have worked closely with the four implementing states to strengthen policy and systems for nutrition – key milestones include the t review and development of multi sectoral plans of action for food and

nutrition (MSPAN), and annual operational plans, which serve as the framework for implementing these plans each year. 

“These efforts are critical in establishing clear guidelines for the execution of nutrition-focused policies and interventions. The launch of the multi-sectoral plans of action in Nasarawa and Bauchi States signifies the government’s will and CASCADE and partners’ commitment to states to transform the food and nutrition policy landscape which not only serves as a guide but a blueprint for improving the food and nutrition indices across the States.

“Despite these advancements, the limited allocation of adequate funding by state

governments for nutrition-sensitive interventions undermines the successful attainment of goals outlines in the plans and our t efforts to comprehensively address malnutrition.”

Orgle, however said that the Federal Government’s recent call to action in improving coordination, financing, and ability in food and nutrition demonstrates its commitment to securing food and nutrition security for all, especially, women and children.