Vice President Kashim Shettima announced on Tuesday that the Federal Government will give priority to setting up nutrition departments in specific federal ministries and providing funding for nutrition activities.
He stated that this move would “speed up the implementation of nutrition and similar efforts” in the country.
During a meeting at the Presidential Villa to discuss the challenges and potential solutions for expanding nutrition efforts in Nigeria, the vice president made this announcement to the Nutrition Core Working Committee.
Stanley Nkwocha, the Special Adviser to the Vice President on Media and Communications, disclosed this information in a statement titled, ‘Addressing Hunger & Malnutrition: FG will prioritise the establishment of nutrition departments, funding of activities, says VP Shettima.’
Following a presentation by the committee, the VP mentioned that steps would be taken to directly address some of the issues brought up by the committee, particularly the establishment of nutrition departments in specific federal ministries, prioritizing advocacy campaigns on nutrition, and funding nutrition-related activities.
He also expressed that the ministries of Water Resources and Sanitation, Science and Technology, Budget and Economic Planning, Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Information and National Orientation, Education, and Women Affairs, would be encouraged to act quickly in creating nutrition departments in their areas.
Shettima assured the committee that, similar to other interventions under his office, nutrition would receive priority attention, including the development of a dashboard in his office to monitor and track the activities of stakeholders in the field.
Regarding funding and advocacy for nutrition efforts, he remarked that “financing is crucial in addressing nutrition and related issues, so I urge this committee to set higher targets and get all stakeholders involved in advocating for nutrition in Nigeria.
“We need to find innovative ways to improve advocacy. Therefore, every stakeholder, including the private sector, needs to be involved.”
Regarding the UNICEF matching fund programme for expanding nutrition activities in the states, the VP urged state governments to participate in the initiative, emphasizing that better commitment from sub-national governments is needed to attract increased private sector support for nutrition funding.
In earlier comments, the Special Assistant to the Vice President on Public Health, Uju Rochas-Anwukah, expressed gratitude to Shettima for being a strong advocate for nutrition and related activities in the country.
She stressed the importance of taking nutrition and related activities to the grassroots and highlighted the action plan developed by the committee, which focuses on decentralized coordination, accountability, financing, prioritization of nutrition, raising the profile of nutrition efforts, and expanding nutrition activities.
The Senior Health Advisor at the Nigerian Governors Forum Secretariat, Dr Ahmad Abdulwahab, praised the Vice President for leading nutrition efforts in Nigeria and getting the states involved.
He mentioned that due to the difficulties in expanding interventions, the committee suggested putting the Strategic Roadmap for Transformative Nutrition and Food Security into action.
Also attending the meeting were Mrs Nduka Nelson from the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Prof. Wasiu Afolabi from the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, Nemat Hajeebhoy from UNICEF's Nutrition division, and representatives from the World Bank, among others.
