FG moves to create nutrition department in ministries

Vice President Kashim Shettima announced that the federal government intends to establish nutrition departments within specific ministries and enhance funding for nutrition initiatives. 

Shettima made this known on Tuesday while engaging with members of the Nutrition Core Working Committee at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. 

The committee convened to update Shettima on the pressing issues and possible strategies for advancing nutrition efforts across Nigeria.

According to News Agency of Nigeria, the vice president said proactive measures would be adopted to address issues raised by the committee, particularly the establishment of nutrition departments in designated ministries.

He said the government would prioritise advocacy campaigns on nutrition and funding of nutrition-related activities.

He said the ministries of Water Resources and Sanitation, Science and Technology, Budget and Economic Planning, Information and National Orientation and others would be encouraged to expedite action towards creating nutrition departments in their domains.

Shettima assured the committee that nutrition would be given priority attention, as he had done with other interventions supervised by his office.

According to him, this includes building a dashboard in his office to monitor and track the activities of stakeholders in the nutrition space.

The vice president, who noted that financing was key in addressing nutrition and related issues, urged the committee to aim higher and set bigger targets.

He stressed the need for all stakeholders to be collectively engaged and involved in Nigeria’s advocacy campaign on nutrition.

Shettima also urged state governments to participate in the initiative, noting that improving the commitment shown by subnationals would be required to attract improved private sector support for nutrition interventions.

Earlier, the Special Assistant to the President on Public Health, Uju Rochas-Anwukah, emphasised the need for nutrition and related activities to be taken to the grassroots.

Rochas-Anwukah explained that the committee’s action plan was anchored on decentralised coordination, accountability, financing, nutrition prioritisation, and raising the profile and scaling up of nutrition interventions.

Also, the senior health advisor of the Nigerian Governors Forum Secretariat, Ahmad Abdulwahab, applauded the vice president for galvanising the participation of subnationals.