Fed Govt to Review National Food and Nutrition Policy
By Patience Ikpeme
To tackle emerging food insecurity in the country, the Federal Government of Nigeria plans to revise the National Policy on Food and Nutrition to tackle malnutrition in the country.
Dr. Emeka Vitalis Obi, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, disclosed this during a meeting with stakeholders from key ministries, including Agriculture and Food Security, Education, Health and Social Welfare, Innovation, Science and Technology, Water Resources, Women Affairs, and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN).
He highlighted that the current National Policy on Food and Nutrition, approved by the Federal Executive Council in April, serves as a 10-year framework to ensure food and nutrition security in Nigeria.
Dr. Obi emphasized that the policy adopts a multi-sectoral and multi-disciplinary approach to address the complex challenges of food and nutrition. He added that its implementation aims to reduce malnutrition by alleviating poverty through improved access to resources, higher incomes, and better living standards.
Dr. Obi emphasized that the Food and Nutrition Policy serves as a framework to guide the development of intervention programs and address food and nutrition challenges across all levels of Nigerian society, from individuals and households to communities and the national level. He stated that implementing the policy will involve collaboration among sectoral ministries, private organizations, individuals, families, communities, community-based organizations (CBOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and international agencies.
He urged stakeholders to review the current document, methodology, and roadmap, highlighting that their input would help create an improved policy with a positive impact on Nigerians. Dr. Obi also mentioned plans to explore new opportunities for resource mobilization in preparation for the proposed Nutrition Investment Fund (NIF) to combat malnutrition.
Mr. Michael Ojo, Country Director of GAIN, stressed the importance of partnerships in addressing Nigeria’s nutrition challenges and reaffirmed GAIN’s commitment to supporting the policy review process. He expressed optimism that the revised policy would effectively tackle the nation’s nutrition issues.
Stakeholders emphasized incorporating emerging issues such as climate change impacts on nutrition, water and sanitation, poverty, economic empowerment of vulnerable groups, insecurity, and the N774 initiative. The meeting was attended by Ms. Kachallom Daju mni, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, along with directors representing other ministries.
The Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning is tasked with coordinating and harmonizing all food and nutrition-related policies and programs across various ministries into a unified national framework. It also facilitates knowledge exchange among implementing bodies and ensures continuous policy reviews to address food and nutrition concerns effectively.
