Niger, UNICEF urge council chairmen to prioritise nutrition

The Niger State Government, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund, has urged local government chairmen to prioritize nutrition within their budgets.

During a One-Day sensitization and orientation workshop focused on the operationalization and management of the Nutrition-25 Initiatives (N-25), UNICEF and the Commissioner for Planning, Mustapha Ndajiwo, emphasized that this initiative aims to enhance nutrition outcomes at the grassroots level.

They further explained that the workshop is intended to improve participants' understanding of how to operationalize and manage the state government's Nutrition-25 Initiatives.

The Commissioner, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Hajiya Aishatu Usman, highlighted that the N-25 initiative serves as a call to action and a commitment to ensure that every household, child, and community has access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food.

Dr. Sunday Okoronkwo, the Executive Secretary of Civil Society - Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN), stated that the initiative aims to align with the broader N-774 national framework, focusing on translating national nutrition priorities into coordinated and sustainable grassroots interventions.

He remarked, "The N-25 Initiative is anticipated to enhance political ownership, bolster institutional capacity, and promote collaboration among key sectors, particularly aimed at improving nutrition outcomes for pregnant women, mothers, and children under five during the crucial first 1,000 days of life."

In a goodwill message, Aisha Kallamu, the UNICEF Nutrition Specialist from the Kaduna field office, pointed out that malnutrition extends beyond health, emphasizing its critical role in determining a child's survival.

She asserted, "To achieve meaningful results, strong leadership, effective coordination, adequate financing, and collective action from government, partners, communities, and families are essential."

“For us to achieve results, there is the need for strong leadership, effective coordination, adequate financing, and collective action from government, partners, communities, and families,” she note

The Chairman, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Iliyasu Zakari, while speaking on behalf of the LGA chairmen, said the initiative would strengthen nutrition, governance, coordination and service delivery at the LGA level to accelerate the reduction of malnutrition across the state.

“As chairmen of LGAs, we will strengthen nutrition security and improve maternal and child health outcomes across the 25 Local Government Areas of the state,” Zakari said.

The Executive Director, Niger State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Junaidu Inuwa, noted that nutrition services, from prevention to the treatment of malnutrition, remained integral to effective Primary Health Care delivery.

He also pointed out that tackling malnutrition requires a coordinated, multi-sectoral approach involving health, agriculture, education and other relevant sectors.