Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria, CS-SUNN is collaborating with government at all levels to increase advocacy for effective coordination of Nutrition in Nigeria.
The Executive Secretary of the Organisation, Mrs. Beatrice Eluaka stated this at a Partnership Improve Nigeria Nutrition System in Abuja.
Mrs Eluaka identified ineffective coordination, lack of transparency in fund allocation, disbursement as challenges impeding nutrition.
She said the organization was ready to work with relevant government agencies to address the menace.
Mrs. Eluaka stressed that, “the PINNS project was supported by Bill and Melinda Gate Foundation, and the foundation is currently working in ten states and CS-SUN worked with five out of the ten to implement the PINNS project in Kano, Kaduna, Niger, Nasarawa and Lagos.
She said that CS-SUNN through the PINNS project was able to reorganise the committees on food and nutrition in some of the states as well as replicate the committee in other states.
“When we came on board, these committees present in some states were moribund, they were not active, nothing was happening because they were not cleared of their roles and responsibilities, but we were able to reorganize them as our first task through the PINNS project we build their capacity and engaged in various advocacy programme to the key actors in the states” She noted.
In a remark, Board Chairman, of CS-SUNN, Mr. Davies Omotola, said that malnutrition situation in Nigeria was now responding as a result of the action of the stakeholders, noted that it could only be better if there were clear plans and programmes.
According to him, to achieve the target goals of scaling up nutrition in Nigeria, a multi-sectoral plan must be implemented and policies on nutrition must be made to stand.
Mr. Omotola also said that people must learn to consume the right kind of foods otherwise; they would continue to have the case of malnutrition in the country.
Director, Kano State Ministry of Planning and Budget, Mr. Muktar Ado Yaksai said the PINNS project had enable the states to improved on policies that would enhance the living standard of the citizenry.
The nutrition activities has been institutionalized and mainstream into the development process in kano state.” Yakasai explained.
State Nutrition Officer in Niger, Hajia Asmau Mohammed said the state benefited a lot from the PINNS project and had changed the narrative on nutrition in the state.
“We have been able to develop the multi-sectoral plan, through-out the development, the validation as well as the approval, PINNS supported us, they gave us confidence on what we are doing”. Hajia Mohammed stated.
she added, that the state had only thirteen nutrition officer, now have over thirty manning each local government in the state.
The PINNS project was designed to strengthen the Nigeria nutrition systems to be more Result-Driven, Effective, Serviceable, Efficient and Transparent (RESET) in delivering on their mandate and to hold government accountable.
The project also ensure transparent allocation of resources, releases for implementation of Nutrition interventions in Nigeria through evidence-based advocacy.
Reporting by Florence Adewale, edited by Adeniyi Bakare