Civil Society Scaling-Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) has said that the inauguration of the second phase of Partnership for Improving Nigeria Nutrition System (PINNS) 2.0 will pursue full implementation of nutrition strategies.
The Acting Executive Secretary for the civil society organization, Mr. Okoronkwo Sunday, disclosed this in Abuja at the inauguration of the project and a meeting of stakeholders for the project.
He said that the five piloted states where the first phase of the project kick-started, Kaduna, Lagos, Niger, Kano, Nasarawa and FCT being the national would be the states where PINNS 2.0 would focus on in terms of implementation.
He said that PINNS 2.0 would measure the level of implementation nutrition strategies, and would cover up for states where there are shortfalls as well as support and work with the states to see other forms of innovations.
According to him, it will support innovative funding that will help the implementation of the CS-SUNN plan, policy and multi-sectoral strategic plan of action for nutrition.
“What we have noticed over time in our plan and strategy which we are trying to prevent is the issue of developing strategies and keeping them on the shelves.
“We have wonderful targets but they never see the light of the day. For us, it is not about developing those policies but implementing them which PINNS 2.0 will work towards.
“We are trusting that there will be full implementation of the strategies developed, and if this happens, over 20 per cent of stunted growth in children, and malnutrition rate in the country will reduce.
“It will also increase the exclusive breastfeeding rate from the current 27 per cent to over 50 per cent. If we achieve this, it will change the narrative of the nutrition system in Nigeria,’’ he said.
The acting ES stated that CS-SUNN was determined to improve the nutrition system in the country especially for the new generation of children, who he called responsible men and women, who are highly intelligent.
He said that if PINNS 2.0 target is achieved, the new generation children who will be fed with high nutrition substances will contribute to the Gross Domestic Product of the Country (GDP).
He, however, scored CS-SUNN pass mark in the first phase, saying that the civil society organization was able to achieve a lot in terms of policy framework and cooperation of the state government.
Mr. Bamidele Omotola, CS-SUNN Board Chairman, also scored the organization high in terms of awareness, adding that, there has been an increase in the nutrition level of the country.
“We are witnessing some progress which is visible in the sense that the policy environment is changing and improving, we are getting more actors, we are getting more government involvement and responsiveness.
“We are putting in place governance structure, policy environment. Some states are now ready to fund nutrition activities in the relevant MDA, nutrition belongs to several sectors like health, agriculture, industries, education, women, and social protection,’’ he said.
Malam Sodangi Chindo, Co-chairman, CS-SUNN steering committee, stated that the PINNS 2.0 project would work to make more advocacy at the grassroot as one of the targets of the project.
He said that the organization had achieved the policy angle and that what is left now is the dissemination of the policy document at the local level.
He added that there was a need for CS-SUNN to have stakeholders at the grassroots, and that the PINNS 2.0 would work in this direction, and commended the government for the support it is giving to the organization.
Mrs. Ramatu Umar, Permanent Secretary, Niger State Planning Commission, commended CS-SUNN, saying that, with the CSO push on the state, Niger state had witnessed tremendous change in its nutrition system.
She said that with the coming in of CS-SUNN to the nutrition system in the state, there had been a drop in the percentage of children with stunted growth.
Mr. Auwalu Sanda, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Planning and Budget, Kano, stated that the state had been giving nutrition activities the priority attention it deserved since the coming in of CS-SUNN.
“Government is working seriously in terms of food security, we have been able to bring out the issue of malnutrition as regards to the children because it has a multiplier effect.
“For a state to have a strong workforce, the issue of malnutrition has to be tackled, the government is budgeting quite a lump sum of money for the issue of malnutrition, not only in money but also in sensitization.
“Kano is an agrarian state where people produce food but they end up selling it, government is doing a lot to intervene in the nutrition issue,’’ he said. (NAN).
