Professor Yemi Osinbajo.
The federal government has approved a five-year
nutrition action plan that will help to reduce hunger and
malnutrition across the country, the Presidency said on
Tuesday.
This was revealed in a statement by the spokesman to the Vice
President, Laolu Akande.
The plan was approved by the National Council on Nutrition,
which is chaired by the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo.
Other members of the Council include Chairman of the Nigerian
Governors Forum, Health Minister, Minister of Water Resources, the
Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, the Nutrition
Society of Nigeria, development partners, organized private sector,
Civil Society Organisations, the former Emir of Kano, Sanusi
Lamido, among others.
Titled the “National Multi-Sectoral Plan of Action for Food and
Nutrition (NMPFAN) 2021-2025”, the plan will guide the
implementation of interventions and programmes to address the
problems of hunger and malnutrition across all sectors in
Nigeria.
“The approved plan will reduce the proportion of people who
suffer malnutrition by 50%; increase exclusive breastfeeding rate
to 65%,” the statement said. “It will also reduce stunting rate
among under-five year olds to 18% by 2025 through the scaling up of
priority high impact nutrition specific and nutrition sensitive
interventions.
“The plan recommends the adoption and implementation of
strategies aimed at improving the nutritional status of Nigerians
by tackling under nutrition and stunting, among others.”
The Vice President also welcomed suggestions for the adoption of
extensive nutrition advocacy programmes to be driven by
stakeholders across all levels of government and the private
sector.
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Offering the support of State governors in the actualization of
the plan, Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, (NGF) and Ekiti
State Governor, Mr Kayode Fayemi, said his colleagues endorse the
plan.
While commending the personal commitment of Vice President
Osinbajo to the issue of nutrition in the country, the Chairman,
Board of Trustees, Nutrition Society of Nigeria, Sanusi Lamido,
said the same commitment will need to be demonstrated in the
States, noting that taking the advocacy campaign to the State
governors will be a crucial part of ending malnutrition in the
country.
The former Emir of Kano said that it was time to take nutrition
issues more seriously.
On their part, stakeholders present at the virtual meeting,
where the plan was approved, pledged their support for the
implementation of the action plan aimed at addressing the menace of
malnutrition in Nigeria.
Development partners, and the organised private sector,
represented by Mr Diego Moroso of the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office, and Ms Zouera Youssoufou of the Aliko Dangote Foundation,
respectively, said the adoption of the plan was commendable,
calling for a holistic approach in order to address fundamental
issues in the food system.
Other presentations made to Council include, the National Food
Consumption and Micro-Nutrient Survey 2021, the Food System Summit
2021 and the presentation on Nutrition for Growth Summit, by the
Secretary, National Committee on Food and Nutrition, Mrs Chito
Nelson.
Read more https://swordpress.com.ng/2020/12/16/fg-approves-five-year-plan-to-reduce-hunger/