The National Council on Nutrition under the chairmanship of the Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo has approved a five-year nutrition action plan that would guide implementation of intervention programs to address hunger and malnutrition in Nigeria.
The council at its virtual meeting approved the action plan titled ‘National Multi-Sectoral Plan of Action for Food and Nutrition (NMPFAN) 2021-2025’ as disclosed by Laolu Akande, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity, Office of the Vice President.
Other members of the council apart from the vice president, include chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, Health Minister, Minister of Water Resources, the Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, former Emir of Kano, the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, development partners, organized private sector, Civil Society Organisations, among others.
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The council projected that the plan would reduce the proportion of people who suffer malnutrition by about 50%, and increase exclusive breastfeeding rate to 65% while reducing stunted growth among under-five year olds to about 18% by 2025
The plan recommends the implementations of strategies aimed at improving the nutritional status of Nigerians by tackling hunger and malnutrition through the scaling up of high-impact nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions.
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Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, (NGF), Dr Kayode Fayemi, in his comment announced the support of state governors adding that his colleagues endorsed the plan.
The former Emir of Kano who is the chairman, Board of Trustees, Nutrition Society of Nigeria, Sanusi Lamido, eulogized the commitment of Vice President Osinbajo on the issue of nutrition and food security in the country.
Sanusi called on state governors to demonstrate the same commitment in their various states adding that a crucial part of ending malnutrition in the country is to take the advocacy campaign to state level.
