Sectorial Nutrition plan: CS-SUNN urges Lagos to invest N56b - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

Arising from the 2-day harmonization training meeting organized by CS-SUNN, the Lagos State Government has successfully mainstreamed the State Multi-sectoral Plan of Action for Nutrition into the State Medium Term Sector Strategy (MTSS) ahead of the 2020 budget process, reports NaijaAgroNet. 

Executive Secretary, CS-SUNN, Mrs. Beatrice Eluaka, told NaijaAgroNet that the training was aimed at strengthening the capacity of Heads of Planning Units, Nutrition Desk officers, Planning Officers, Statisticians among others in all nutrition line ministries to mainstream strategies into the State Nutrition Strategic Plan of Action.

“It further sought to improve collaborations among personnel from these nutrition line ministries in preparing Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) budgets and other nutrition related planning documents for the state,” she said in a press statement available to NaijaAgroNet.

The Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Adetutu Abiola, who declared the training open, said it was apt considering the malnutrition challenge bedeviling the country. 

“One of the objectives of this training is to acquaint budget officers of line ministries on the importance of the multi-sectoral costed workplan in planning for nutrition programmes and projects and how to achieve the set targets in the domesticated policy documents”, said Adetutu. 

She therefore tasked budget officers to familiarize themselves with the policy documents and costed workplan as information from the documents will guide preparation of annual budgets of the line ministries.

In a presentation, the Secretary of the State Committee on Food and Nutrition (SCFN) Mrs. Braheem O.C stated that malnutrition still remains a public health challenge in Lagos State and a silent crisis that imposes a staggering cost to the State’s economy. She revealed that the state government requires a total sum of Two hundred and eighty-four billion, eight hundred and twenty-six million, four hundred and ninety-nine thousand naira only (N284, 826,499, 000.ooK ) with an average annual cost of Fifty-six billion, nine hundred and sixty-five million, two hundred and twenty-nine thousand, eight hundred naira only (N56, 965,299,800. 00K) to implement the State Multi-sectoral Plan of Action for Nutrition (2019-2023).

Earlier this year, the Lagos SCFN in collaboration with CS-SUNN had domesticated the National Policy on Food and Nutrition specific to Lagos state and developed the state multi-sectoral costed workplan.

The plan covers 6 core areas which include, Food and Nutrition Security, Enhancing Caregiving Capacity, Enhancing provision of quality Health services, Improving Capacity to Address Food And Nutrition Insecurity, Raising Awareness and understanding of the problem of malnutrition in Nigeria and Resource Allocation for Food and Nutrition Security at all Levels. It is expected that the plan if followed through will result in increased food production leading to a reduced rate of malnutrition, reduced Morbidity and Mortality among women and children and enhanced capacity to deliver effective and appropriate nutrition interventions in the state. It will further enhance the capacity to deliver effective and appropriate nutrition interventions and operationalization of budgetary provision for all Nutrition objectives and developmental plans and programmes across all line MDAs.

The validated policy will serve as a guide for the execution of programmes and projects targeted at addressing malnutrition in Lagos state.

Ayo Midele/Editor

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