Two prominent nutrition advocacy groups, the Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria and the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, are calling on President Bola Tinubu to take action to address the country’s nutrition crisis by establishing dedicated nutrition departments within key government ministries and agencies across the nation.
This urgent appeal comes as a staggering 26.5 million Nigerians are expected to face food insecurity in 2024, with the states of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe being particularly vulnerable to the devastating impacts of malnutrition.
At a media roundtable in Abuja, nutrition experts emphasized that food insecurity and malnutrition remain pressing concerns in Nigeria, requiring a multifaceted approach involving all government sectors.
Professor Kola Anigo, National Coordinator of the Academic and Research Network for Scaling up Nutrition in Nigeria, stressed the need for sustained coordination, transparent funding mechanisms, and political will to ensure nutrition security.
He identified key ministries requiring nutrition departments, including Women Affairs, Humanitarian Affairs, Agriculture, Primary Healthcare Development Agency, and Budget and National Planning.
Dr. Davis Omotola, a Nutrition Consultant, argued that it was not enough to create departments of Nutrition, stating, “We need to demonstrate that we as a country care for the people. How many of our women are counselled on Nutrition? Why are they not counselled on Nutrition? Is it because of the paucity of funds?
“How many of the children that require vitamin A receive it? Why are they not receiving it? We have enough capsules in the country, why are they not receiving it,” he questioned.
Omotola emphasized that establishing a nutrition department is a crucial step towards securing increased government funding for nutrition initiatives in the country.
He believes that those who fail to recognize the importance of creating such departments lack understanding of its benefits and stressed the need for ongoing education and awareness to highlight its value.
