By Joyce Remi- Babayeju
As Nigeria marks the 2021 Nutrition Week, the Federal Government in collaboration with Civil Society- Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria, CS SUNN has launched the National Multi-sectoral Plan of Action for Food and Nutrition (NMPFAN) 2021 to 2025 and Nigeria Agenda 2050 to address food insecurity and tackle malnutrition in the country.
Acting Executive Secretary of CS SUNN , Mr. Sunday Okoronkwo noted that food insecurity affects access to affordable nutritious and adequate food supply in the country and called for the support of all stakeholders for the implementation of the action plan.
“All stakeholders have a role to play for Nigerians to have access to nutritious and healthy diets, and this is only possible if we all work together. This brings me to the prime of today’s event; the official launch of the NMSPFAN, a costed road map for reduction of stunting by 20%, for increasing EBF by 50% among others if fully implemented.”.
The Minister of State for Finance, Budget, and National Planning, who officially launched the document in Abuja at the inauguration and joint ministerial press briefing of the 2021 Nigeria Nutrition Week said the plan was approved by the Federal Executive Council this year in September.
The National Multi-sectoral Plan of Action for Food and Nutrition (NMPFAN) 2021 to 2025 is a five-year nutrition action plan to guide the implementation of interventions and programmes against hunger and malnutrition across all sectors in Nigeria.
It wis expected to aid in reducing malnutrition by 50 percent in people and increase exclusive breastfeeding rate to 65 percent.
It also aims to reduce stunting rate among under-five-year-olds to 18 percent by 2025 by scaling up impact nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions.
The Minister of State for Finance, Budget, and National Planning, Mr. Clement Agba, disclosed that Nigeria has an estimated 2.5 million children under the age of five suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM).
“ As part of other efforts to address malnutrition and related challenges in the country, the present administration in collaboration with state is considering an Operation Feed Yourself Initiative to encourage the establishment of urban farm, school and home garden.”
The plans is one of the major plans arising from the United Nations-backed Food System Dialogue to advance the fight against malnutrition and others are supporting farmers across the country, Agba explained.
Country Director, Global Alliance For Improved Nutrition, GAIN, Dr. Michael Ojo stressed the need for partnership between government and the private sector for the actualisation of the document.
Ojo further noted that 2021 has been a momentous year for food and nutrition as food crisis has put most Nigerians in poverty.
Daybreak reports that the theme of the 2021 Nigeria nutrition week is: “Food systems transformation for healthy diets and nutrition, our collective responsibility.”
