The World Bank has announced the donation of $ 50 million in support of Nigeria’s food nutrition challenges.
For the global financial institution, there is a need for the Federal Government to initiate nutrition education for teenagers and adolescents in the country.
This suggestion, the World Bank believes would further assist Nigeria in overcoming its nutrition challenges.
Country Director of the World Bank, Ndiame Diop, revealed made this known during a meeting with Vice President, Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Villa Abuja.
Diop explained that the fund was earmarked under the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) project 2.0 programme which is a crisis response window.
The Practice Manager for Health, Nutrition and Population at the World Bank, Trina Haque, maintained that there was a need for nutrition education for children and adolescents as it is important for early child development.
Shettima, in his submission, reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to addressing its growing nutrition challenges through a community-driven strategy aimed at transforming nutrition outcomes across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.
Presenting the comprehensive N-774 Initiative during the meeting, Shettima said the document would build on successful outcomes from the ANRiN project.
The Vice President noted that the N-774 initiative comes at a crucial time considering the ANRiN project closeout.
He noted that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is pioneering a paradigm shift in nutrition programmes through locally owned solutions, adding that the N-774 Initiative represents the nation’s commitment to community-driven development and sustainable nutrition outcomes.
Explaining that the N-774 Initiative is a localised, community-driven solution tailored towards the unique needs of each LGA and aims to bring nutrition interventions directly to communities, Shettima said it would also encourage local ownership and ensure sustainability.
Admitting that malnutrition is a Nigerian problem that needs a Nigerian solution, he disclosed that Tinubu is very much willing to support such an initiative.
According to the Vice President, the project integrates nutrition goals across education, agriculture, health and social protection sectors.
On the project implementation strategy, Shettima said it was important to leverage current political will to reverse the country’s negative nutrition indicators.
