Nutrition: Nigeria Urged To Close Gaps Caused By COVID-19, Climate Change

As stakeholders brainstorm on action steps to advance the nutrition data value chain in the country, the minister of state for budget and national planning, Prince Clement Agba, has said that the country must take urgent steps to close the nutrition gaps created by the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change.

The minister stated this yesterday at the National Nutrition Data and Results Conference, organised by the ministry with support from the Civil Society Scaling-Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) and other partners, in Abuja.

Stressing the need to invest in nutrition, Agba said investment in nutrition has effects for years to come adding that every child has the opportunity to survive and strive.

He said that nutrition is not just a health issue but about the potential of the next generation.

In his opening remarks, the minister of state for Health, Mr Ekumankama Joseph, said the National Nutrition Data Result Conference is a platform for government, key stakeholders and experts in the nutrition landscape to interact and share experiences on the nutrition data framework as well as discuss issues related to nutrition data.

He said, “Good nutrition is vital for good health, therefore quality nutrition data at the national and sub national levels are fundamental for designing good programmes that address nutritional health burdens and track progress on implementation towards achieving the nutrition targets of the National Multi-Sectoral Plan of Action for Food and Nutrition (NMPFAN, 2021-2025) and the 2030 Sustainable Development goals.”

Ekumankama said in alignment with outputs of the United Nations food system dialogue held in New York on the 23rd of September 2021, and the Food System Transformation Call to Action by Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Health is poised to develop a nutrient profiling system and the quantitative food-based dietary guidelines for Nigerians.

This, he said would boost good nutrition education for all and institutionalised sustainably through integration into the school curriculum.

The president, Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN), Wasiu Akinloye Afolabi, said the government and partners had seen the need to actually add value to the issue of nutrition as a key instrument for nutrition development in the country.