Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget, and National Planning in collaboration with Civil Society – Scaling up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) has organized a two-day meeting on the domestication of the National Committee on Food and Nutrition NCFN Terms of Reference and Memo writing for Nutrition Desk Officers.
In a statement by the Secretary, Lagos State Committee on Food and Nutrition and State Nutrition Officer in Lagos State, Mr Olubunmi Braheem says facilitators observed during the meeting that malnutrition burden in the State is manifested in form of undernutrition, stunting, and wasting.
It adds that the recommendation of lower-level officers as members of SCFN by MDAs may hinder the effective implementation of the Food & nutrition policy.
The statement notes that Lagos State policy and the Multi-sectorial plan of action for Food and Nutrition will expire in the year 2023 and that there is little improvement in collaboration among MDAs in implementing nutrition activities.
It says also Lack of specific databases that showcase nutrition activities from MDAs and there is a paucity of knowledge on some nutrition concepts among SCFN members.
There is a need to establish the Local Government and Local Council Development Areas Committee on Food and Nutrition in line with the Food and Nutrition Policy.
According to the statement, there is a disparity in the format of Memo writing and inadequate publicity of SCFN activities in the state.
Similarly, the statement says a communique issued at the meeting recommended the need for effective implementation of the Lagos state multi-sectoral plan of action for Food and Nutrition.
Representatives of relevant MDAs on SCFN must not be below grade level 14, also in the nutrition-related department, and review of the State, Multi-sectoral plan of action for Food and Nutrition should commence in earnest.
The communique explains that there should be improved collaboration among MDAs and a nutrition dashboard that will showcase activities from agencies should be designed.
It also states that advocacy visits and sensitization should be made to Conference 57 and to the Honourable Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs on the need to establish and inaugurate the Committee on Food & Nutrition.
The communique also notes that there is a need for a statewide standard format of Memo writing, a quarterly newsletter of nutrition activities in relevant MDAs should be prepared and published by the representative of the Ministry of Information and Strategy.
The meeting was attended by members of the State Committee on Food and Nutrition (SCFN), the Academia, CS-SUNN staff, and officers from the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget, and National Planning.
Fatima Aliyu