Stakeholders seek sustained commitment to maternal, child nutrition

Stakeholders in the health sector have called for renewed collaboration to sustain maternal and child nutrition in states.

This is as the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Health (office of Vice President), Dr Uju Rochas-Anwukah, noted that Nigeria needs stronger collaboration with donor organisations and development partners to effectively tackle malnutrition and meet national nutrition targets.

The stakeholders made the call in Abuja at the Alive & Thrive Nigeria Project closeout and dissemination event organised by FHI 360.

Speaking at the event, Country Representative, FHI 360, Dr Victor Ogbodo said the meeting was convened to reflect on the project’s contributions to policy development, system strengthening, service delivery, and community empowerment.

Ogbodo urged the government, partners, donors, and civil society to reaffirm their commitment to strengthening systems, empowering communities, and scaling up proven nutrition interventions.

He said the initiative has supported national efforts to strengthen nutrition policies and coordination structures and expand access to multiple micronutrient supplements for pregnant women.

‎Ogbodo added that the project also built the capacity of frontline health workers and community-based organisations.

He said, “We gather at the national level to reflect on the project’s contributions to policy development, system strengthening, service delivery, and community empowerment.

‎“We are also here to celebrate our shared successes over the past four years. Alive and Thrive has supported efforts in Nigeria, first of all, to strengthen policy and coordination structures for nutrition.

“Expand access to multiple micronutrient supplements for pregnant women, trained and mentored frontline healthcare workers, and community organisations.

‎“We have optimised service delivery systems in primary health care settings. We have also promoted best practices for breastfeeding and complementary feeding.”

‎Also speaking, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, commended the organisation for its contributions to improving nutrition services across Nigeria.

The minister, who was represented by the Director of Nutrition at the ministry, Ladidi Bako-Aiyegbusi, said the initiative had demonstrated what is possible when health systems and communities work together.

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He said, ‎“The objective of today’s event is not just to share results but to translate evidence into policy and programmatic actions that can be institutionalised within our health system.”

Pate said that Nigerian families continued to face real challenges, including mothers who wished to exclusively breastfeed but lacked support and overstretched health workers.

He, therefore, said the project had deepened the government’s understanding of these challenges and demonstrated the impact of consistent interventions, strengthened systems, and meaningful community engagement.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Health said the project had recorded significant improvement in the seven states since 2022.

She said the project has been able to deliver outcomes like improvement of maternal, infant, and child nutrition.

“What Nigeria needs to be able to tackle the issue of malnutrition is collaboration, partnership, and when we do this, we’ll be able to achieve the Nigeria of our collective dreams,” she said.

The Chairman, House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, Chike Okafor, pledged to deepen collaboration with development partners and government agencies to improve maternal and child nutrition across the country.

‎Okafor highlighted the committee’s ongoing work to strengthen nutrition governance across all levels of government.