The Federal Government of Nigeria is planning to review the National Policy on Food and Nutrition due to emerging issues in the country.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Dr. Emeka Vitalis Obi, made this known yesterday during a meeting with relevant Stakeholders drawn from the Ministries of Agriculture and Food Security, Education, Health and Social Welfare, Innovation, Science and Technology, Water Resources, Women Affairs and Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) in Abuja.
Dr. Obi noted that the current national policy on food and nutrition, which the Federal Executive Council approved in April, serves as a 10-year blueprint for ensuring food and nutrition security in Nigeria.
He also posited that the National Policy on Food and Nutrition will address the multifaceted problem of food and nutrition using a multi-sectoral and multi-disciplinary programme approach.
According to him, the programme to be derived from this policy is expected to reduce the prevalence of malnutrition by alleviating poverty through increased access to productive resources, increased incomes, and enhanced standards of living.
Obi reiterated that the Food and Nutrition Policy document is intended to serve as a framework to guide the identification and development of intervention programmes and address the problems of food and nutrition across different sectors and different levels of Nigerian society, from the individual, household and community to and including the national level.
He also said that implementing the policy shall involve sectoral ministries, the private sector, individuals, families, communities, community-based organizations (CBOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and international agencies.
Obi, therefore, called on the Stakeholders to review the present document, the methodology, and the roadmap, noting that their contributions will assist in producing an improved document that will positively impact Nigerians. He also noted that new opportunities would be explored for resource mobilization in preparation for the proposed Nutrition Investment Fund (NIF) to address malnutrition in the country.
The Country Director GAIN, Mr. Michael Ojo, emphasized the strategic importance of partnerships in advancing the state of nutrition in Nigeria and thus reaffirmed GAIN’s commitment to supporting the ongoing process and expressed hope that at the end of the policy review, the nutrition challenges facing the nation, will be addressed.
The Stakeholders stressed the need to include emerging issues such as the impact of Climate Change on Nutrition, Water and sanitation, poverty, economic empowerment of vulnerable groups, insecurity, and the N774 initiative. The meeting was graced by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Ms. Kachallom Daju mni, while Directors represented other Ministries in the various Ministries.
The mandate of the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning with regard to the National Food and Nutrition Policy and its programmes are: (a) to serve as the focal point for the coordination and harmonization of all food and nutrition-related policies and programmes being implemented by various ministries and agencies into a national programme consistent with the goals and aspirations outlined in the policy document; (b) to provide a forum for the exchange of views and experiences among the bodies implementing nutrition programmes in Nigeria.
The mandate includes coordinating the continuous review of policies and programmes regarding their potential impact on food and nutrition issues.
Recall that the present policy document on Food and Nutrition was produced in 2016.
