… As Nigeria records the second highest number of stunted children globally
By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
Civil Societies Scaling Up Nutrition, CS SUNN, a non governmental organization , operating in Nigeria has called for more political involvement by policy makers to ensure implementation of nutrition policy to tackle the alarming cases of malnutrition in the country.
CS SUNN made this call today in Abuja today at a Media Roundtable meeting with journalists and other stakeholders to address the malnutrition situation in the country.
The meeting tagged ” Media Roundtable on Nigeria’s Nutrition Commitments: Moving from Pledges to Action” according to the Executive Secretary of CS SUNN, Sunday Okoronkwo who was represented by Mrs. Haji Robinson is to set in motion to mobilize actions towards the fulfilment of commitments and acceleration of progress for nutrition in Nigeria.
He noted that malnutrition is linked to poverty because family incomes that have dropped, adding that low political commitment is a serious barrier to the scale up of proven effective food and nutrition interventions in the country.
Okoronkwo said that a paradigm shift from verbal commitment for nutrition by government to institutional and operational commitment will translate to meaningful and impactful mechanisms like enabling legislation, policies and plans for nutrition , adding that it would further improve cash- backing of budget lines for nutrition , full releases of nutrition budget , enforcement of laws and regulations like the six months paid maternity leave and more.
He noted that malnutrition is one of the greatest health and develop challenges of our time that is affecting at least one in three people in the world, adding that Nigeria has the second highest number of stunted children in the world.
The CS SUNN executive decried that although Nigeria for decades has continued to make commitments both at the country and global levels towards ending ending malnutrition through increased funding releases, scale up of community management of Acute Malnutrition Centres, paid 6 months maternity leave, are yet to be fulfilled.
The Organization commended the government for the progress made so far on nutrition also made a clarion call for the approval of a National Multisectoral Action Plan for food and nutrition and establishment of Nutrition departments in all nutrition line Ministries.
CS SUNN ,Senior MEALS Officer, Jayne Egemonye also emphasized the urgent need for the media to participate in the nutrition campaign by influence political party manifestos.
The media should influence infusion of nutrition by pro- manifestos for politicians to know the difference between food and nutrition issues by creating awareness among policy makers, Egemonye advised.
FCT Chapter Chairperson of Nutrition Society of Nigeria, Dr. Florence Uchendu said that emphasized that there is hunger because of lack of food.
Uchendu added that to government needs go into mass production of Bio fortified foods which should be available and accessible to tackle malnutrition in the country.
She lamented that harmful food practices is going on now in the country.
According to her, Foods like banana, plantain are ripened with carbide while foods like fufu , gari including palm oil and many more are adulterated including climate change which is affecting human nutrition.
According to Toyin Adewale of Alive and Thrive, A& T, a global nutrition Initiative, she urged the media to make politicians accountable for their declarations particularly during electoral campaigns citing the example of Nigeria’s implemention the 6 months breastfeeding policy.
Make then aware of the malnutrition trend in Nigeria and that it is a long term investment for now and the future, Adewale explained.
Head of Nutrition and Food Safety of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Rasaq Oyeleke stated that the ministry has rolled out interventions such as Bio fortification of food where micro nutrients are introduced into crops from the farmers.
Speaking on some of the food challenges, Dr. Oyeleke said that Nigeria needs to do more in Aflatoxin control in food produce like beans and maize, groundnut in addition to doing more of bio fortification farming by reducing the level of chemicals in the foods people consume.
