By Our Correspondent
KNSG Partner With CS-SUNN To Creat Nutrition Dept. In Line MDAs:
The Journey So Far
The Kano State Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) collaborated with the Ministry of Planning and Budget/State Committee for Food and Nutrition to conduct a one-day stakeholder consultation on leveraging partnership for the creation of a nutrition department in line with MDAs.
The workshop aimed to identify issues, challenges, and gaps in integrated and sustainable coordination (SCFN) state implementation plan of high impact on nutrition interventions with recommendations and actions to reverse the trend.
Participants were drawn from various MDAs in the state, including state directors and SCFN members.
The meeting was facilitated by Director planning MoPB and the State chapter Secretary, CS-SUNN.
The workshop alternated between presentations, plenary, and discussions with emphasis given to sharing experiences.
The specific objectives of the workshop were to understand the concept of an ideal six-month maternity and two weeks paternity, update stakeholders on the memo sent to Line MDAs for the creation of nutrition departments with open proposing process and follow up, discuss findings of national advocacy visits and plan for upcoming visits by state chapter and SCFN members, deliberate and agree on priority nutrition activities for inclusion into 2024 Kano State AOP that’s coming up, identify gaps in the state for advocacy asks, identify challenges in the implementation of six-month maternity/two weeks paternity and creation of nutrition department if it occurs, proffer solutions to identified gaps, recommend actionable points to resolve issues after review.
The Nigerian government through the Federal Ministry of Planning and Budget has identified a need for urgent implementation of nutrition departments at every sub-national level which recognizes that direct nutrition program and activities at all levels of government – state, local government – with complementary actions to address underlying determinants of good nutrition such as health services/healthy environment adequate care for malnourished/health vulnerable disabilities. In order to make any meaningful impact there are issues that need addressing which include barriers to accessing nutritional information 100%.
Therefore focus must be on translating values ambition global targets eradicate all forms of malnutrition into tangible actions address contextual needs local communities achieving full potential impact on nutrition/health development outcomes requiring coordinated approach on Nutrition governance.
The meeting was a great opportunity for participants from different agencies to share experiences learn from each other about practices that will help in solving some challenges issues discussed.
