The National Council on Nutrition has established a Nutrition Financing Subcommittee to design a sustainable funding structure for Nigeria’s nutrition interventions.
The decision was announced after a meeting of the Council chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
The committee has been given 30 days to develop a financing roadmap for national nutrition programmes.
The report will be presented to the Council and the National Economic Council for review and adoption.
The subcommittee will be chaired by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate.
It will also include ministers responsible for education, water resources, women affairs and science and technology. The Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning will serve as secretariat.
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Shettima said nutrition financing must be ring-fenced to ensure funds translate into real improvements in people’s lives.
He also urged lawmakers to accelerate work on the National Nutrition Bill to strengthen coordination, accountability and funding for nutrition programmes.
The Council also called on state governments to speed up implementation of nutrition initiatives under the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) 2.0 Project.
According to the Vice President, nutrition outcomes depend largely on actions taken at state and community levels.
Nine states have already inaugurated State Councils on Nutrition, with more expected to follow.
