Reps Demand Details Of Nutrition Interventions Amid Probe

House of Representatives has directed the Federal Ministry of Health to provide details of all nutrition interventions implemented by the federal government and donor agencies to address malnutrition in the country.

The House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security gave the directive at the budget defence session with the permanent secretary ministry, Daju Kachollom.

The directive came even as the House resolved to investigate the alleged mismanagement and misapplication of $232 million, equivalent to N350 billion loan for Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) programme.

LEADERSHIP reports that the House had upon adoption of a motion moved by Hon. Chike John Okafor in December last year mandated its relevant committees to investigate the ANRiN World Bank loan to ensure that special programmes of nutrition values are not abused or mismanaged.

ANRiN is a World Bank-funded, performance based project that uses loans to address nutritional challenges in Nigeria and to provide improved nutrition for vulnerable communities by increasing access to quality, cost-effective nutrition services for pregnant and lactating women, adolescent girls, and children under five years of age.

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Okafor who is the chairman of the House committee on nutrition and food security had during the budget defence told the permanent secretary that the panel need concrete figures for the 2024 implementation and clearly defined projections for 2025.

He also said the committee require a comprehensive rundown of all support received from development partners—27 of them—including funding, products, or services.

“Whether direct or indirect, all expenditures need to be accounted for under Sections 81 and 82 of the 1999 Constitution, which authorize us to review spending by Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs),” the chairman said.