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.
He pledged support for measures to create nutrition departments in key ministries and advocated for increased advocacy campaigns and funding for nutrition-related activities.
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.