USAID Advancing Nutrition and the Federal Government in Abuja on Tuesday engaged stakeholders for a National Nutrition Data and Results Conference to review the state of nutrition in Nigeria as well as brainstorm on the way forward.
The Maternal Infant and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) Advisor, USAID Advancing Nutrition Project, Pauline Adah, in her remarks said, “As USAID in general, not just the Advancing Nutrition, one of our mandates is to improve nutrition data that we have, increase data for evidence so that we could see the growth of nutrition in children especially, and seek to find solutions to better ways to improve the nutrition data as it regards to SDGs and for now, Nigeria has its program that seeks to reduce malnutrition in different forms, both wasting and stunting.”
She said the USAID Advancing Nutrition Project has had immense contributions to the nutrition space for many years before now. “It has the Integrated Health Program, a whole lot and recently, the USAID Advancing Nutrition Progress in Nigeria.
The MIYCN Advisor explained that the several projects of USAID come together to feed into the different aspects of nutrition to advance and accelerate the results of nutrition in Nigeria.
“So far, we are a very huge contributor to all of the surveys that the results are being shared here today. We have the micronutrient survey result, the food consumption survey results.”
She added that the results will help give a new face to nutrition actions in Nigeria, adding that it is only with data that the state of nutrition can be known and which area which area requires more effort.
She further stated that the results from the conference will help in shaping upcoming proposals for new projects.
Adah also said the USAID Advancing Nutrition is working to strengthen its State partners, “we are working currently with Bauchi, Kebbi, and Sokoto states and will be including Ebony and the FCT.” She assured that the documents from the conference will be disseminated and passed on to its member states, down to LGA level.
The Honourable Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Prince Clement Agba who joined the conference via zoom, noted in his remarks that the government of Nigeria in collaboration with development partners has made significant progress toward expanding the availability of national and sub-national data to guide nutrition decisions.
Agba stated that Since the last National Nutrition Data Stakeholder Meeting held in October 2018, Nigeria has recorded remarkable investments and advancements along the nutrition data value chain despite the negative impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
According to him, the 3-day conference provides another opportunity for Nutrition Stakeholders to review the milestones achieved in the nutrition chain and identify how best the results can apply to policy formulation as well as for decision making.
“It is worth restating that the negative effect of the COVID-19 pandemic which Nigeria has its fair share, has contributed to our challenges in addition to the impact of climate change and the security challenges that the country has experienced in recent years. These are pointers to the need for swift actions if we must meet the SDG 2 on Zero Hunger,” he said.
He said that the government and all stakeholders have shown keen interest in ending hunger through its investment in nutrition owing to the need to give every Nigerian an opportunity to thrive.
Furthermore, the Minister said the response of the current administration under the leadership of President Buhari has yielded human-oriented results.
He said, “Research has shown that investment in nutrition prevents undernutrition, builds human capital, and grows prosperity. Investment in nutrition far outweighs the cost while the delay and failure in addressing malnutrition have high costs due to its negative effects which makes investment in nutrition a must.
“As part of our resolve to move the agenda of nutrition forward, we prioritised the implementation of the Multi-Sectoral Plan of Action for Food and Nutrition 2021-2025 in the National Development Plan. This is in addition to the diversification of our economy, now contributing significantly to our economy.
“It is important to also note that Nigeria has developed an implementation plan for 3 programmes selected. Part of many priority actions were implemented in 2022. This has been approved under the leadership of his excellency, the vice president of Nigeria, Prof Yemi Osinbajo and it is the desire of the government and all stakeholders to support this implementation.
“I wish to reinstate that government’s response to the fight against malnutrition under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari has been productive and people-oriented. This includes the physical stimulus package, amendment to the medium term fiscal framework and 2020 appropriation act, and the establishment of national empowerment in ministries as well as the launch of the Multi-Sectorial Economy Sustainability.”
