UYO
To stem the tide of malnutrition plaguing thousands of vulnerable Nigerian populations, the Akwa Ibom State Committee on Food and Nutrition (SCFN) has developed an action plan to address malnutrition and improve the nutritional status of vulnerable children,adolescents and women in the State.
During a 3-Day Workshop which ended in Uyo, recently, the Committee, sponsored by Helen Keller with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), evolved an Organizational Capacity Assessment Tool which enabled it to identify strengths, opportunities and gaps to provide necessary collective support for its operational effectiveness.
Grey areas deliberated upon, included the worsening situation of malnutrition across the country as evidenced by poor indices; poor implementation of the nutrition monitoring and evaluation framework caused by the absence of a coordinated nutrition data and platform;weak coordination in nutrition programming at the State and the Local Government Area level.
Addressing participants at the workshop, the chairman of the Committee,Barr.Christopher Udoh, noted that USAID’s Advancing Nutrition 5-year programme, which kick-started in 2023 in Akwa Ibom was in tandem with Gov Umo Eno’s Agricultural Reforms Programmes which, he noted, has birthed food security and sustainability in all parts of the state.
He expressed gratitude over the initiative and expressed the Committee’s preparedness to improve on its outcomes and devised more strategic planning module to combat malnutrition amongst the pregnant women, children under 5 years, the elderly and other target populations.
Udoh, who is also the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Economic Development said that the administration of Pastor Umo Eno has not rested on its oars in promoting and enhancing the livelihood of farmers and rural communities as evidenced in the quarterly provision of farm inputs and implements, free interest loans as well as grants to farmers and most importantly giving the Agriculture Sector priority attention.
He also stated that the governor has inaugurated the Bulk Purchase Agency to address food crises and malnutrition.
The chairman pledged the Akwa Ibom State Government’s readiness to collaborate with the development partners in implementing the action plan drawn by the committee in addressing the gaps and strengthening the programmes of the committee.
He expressed assurance that the inauguration of the Committee on Food and Nutrition in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly will witness strategic actions in the fight against malnutrition in all parts of the state.
The secretary, Akwa Ibom State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr.Eno Attah, lauded Helen Keller and USAID for undertaking the 5-year Advancing Nutrition in Akwa Ibom State, and also spoke on improving community-based nutrition and utilisation of nutritional services for the benefit of the vulnerable.
Also speaking, the Akwa Ibom State nutrition officer, Dr.Idongesit Umoh, welcomed participants to the workshop describing it as very critical in finding solutions to lingering nutrition setbacks and upscaling nutrition programmes for Akwa Ibom people.
She said that the State Committee on Food and Nutrition was prepared to benchmark standard and global practices in the implementation of the action plan drawn by the Committee with the technical assistance provided by Helen Keller and USAID.
The USAID nutrition advisor, Ebenezer Olutolo, advised members of the Committee drawn from Ministries, Departments, and Parastatals, to ensure that nutrition related budgets are fast tracked for approvals and implementation,pledging optimal commitment in financing the project.
He charged members from Non-Governmental Organisations, Professional Institutions and other relevant stakeholders to team up with government and the implementing partners to improve nutrition in Akwa Ibom.
The capacity building advisor, Helen Keller International, Aminu Farouk, in a brief overview, described Advancing Nutrition Project as a 5-year USAID funded multisectoral nutrition activity which commenced on December 4, 2023 with the goal of improving the nutritional status and health population of the most vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies through partnership with the Akwa Ibom State Government of Nigeria, USAID, Helen Keller,as well as other implementing partners including the Nigerian Governor’s Forum (NGF),Health Watch (HW),March Health Care Initiative (MHCI) and Civil Society-Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS- SUN).
Farouk disclosed that Advancing Nutrition Framework in Akwa Ibom is a bumper package with such services as improved access to quality nutrition services to beneficiaries,multisectoral linkages and coordination for nutrition, increased consumption of safe nutritious and diverse foods, improved capacity of health workers and community based actors to deliver nutrition services, learning agenda to address knowledge gaps, adequate government nutrition resource tracking and mobilisation among others.
Mr. Muyiwa Olowe called for unity of purpose and commitment from stakeholders to bring about a dramatic growth in the nutrition status of beneficiaries.
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