CSO Tasks FG On Actions For Improved Nutrition Outcomes

Civil Society Scaling-Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) has tasked the federal government on commitments and actions for improved health outcomes in Nigeria.

The organisation stated this at a media roundtable on Advancing Nigeria’s Commitments from Pledges into Concrete Actions for Improved Nutrition Outcomes, in Abuja.

Executive secretary of CS-SUNN, Sunday Okoronkwo, who spoke at the media roundtable, said Nigeria has consistently made commitments and pledges at various summits to end the scourge of malnutrition, but have often remained on paper, lacking the necessary follow-through.

“In-country across all tiers, commitments for increased funding, releases, scale-up of Community Management of Acute Malnutrition centres, six months maternity leave with pay for nursing mother among others have been made but, in most cases, have faced delays in implementation and some are yet to be fulfilled,” he said.

Speaking on nutrition financing, Okoronkwo stated that findings from the organisation’s trend analysis of nutrition budget in Nigeria (2019 – 2022) shows that relative to the size of the federal government’s spending plan in 2018, health sector allocation stands at 5.79 per cent, which is relatively low when compared to the 15 per cent commitment made by the Nigerian government at the 2006 Abuja declaration summit.
“A review of budgetary allocation in 2016 to 2022 shows that Nigeria also failed to honour this commitment.

“If the Abuja declaration was implemented, additional allocations of approximately N3.91 trillion should have been injected and spent on the health sector between 2016 and 2022.” he noted.

The organisation, however, commended the government for some level of progress made on nutrition which includes approval of the national multisectoral plan of action for food and Nutrition, and approval of the establishment of nutrition departments in all nutrition line ministries.

The executive secretary also restated the need for a paradigm shift from verbal commitments to institutional and operational commitments.

“This shift will translate to meaningful and impactful nutrition mechanisms like; enabling legislation, policies and plans for nutrition, improved coordination, institutional framework and better data, monitoring and accountability systems for nutrition. It will further improve creation of adequate and cash backing of budget lines for nutrition, full releases of nutrition budgets, enforcement of laws and regulations like the 6 months maternity leave with pay and more,” Okoronkwo said.

Calling for strengthened governance for nutrition at National and Sub-national levels, Okoronkwo said that “A step in this direction is the approval of the establishment of Nutrition Departments and creation of budget line for nutrition in all line ministries by the former administration.”

He urges the president Tinubu-led administration to follow through with this pledge across all nutrition line MDAs at all levels.

“This we believe will give nutrition a seat at management tables in MDAs where decisions around the prioritization of nutrition will be made,” he stated.

Okoronkwo restated CS-SUNN commitment to advancing the country’s nutrition agenda for improved nutritional status of women, children and the vulnerable group. He also charged partners in Nigeria’s nutrition communities on collaboration and awareness raising.