Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma has stated that the Federal Government will seek new ways and means that will be cost – effective in addressing malnutrition in Nigeria. The Minister made this disclosure,Thursday, March 10, 2016 in Abuja during A Stakeholders’ Dialogue on the Reviewed National Policy on Food and Nutrition.
Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed (Mrs) stood in for the Minister at the occasion, which was held at Reiz Continental Hotel, Abuja.
Udoma said “We are hoping, with the support of development partners that this review will help us to find a new way and means in which malnutrition will be addressed in a very cost-effective manner in Nigeria”
He also said that, going forward, the policy will help the country to look at different ways our food will be processed by Nigerian mothers so that they can give balanced diet to their children.
Accordingly, the Minister also disclosed that the Ministry is working with a quite large number of development partners to raise awareness as well as programs that will cascade down to the grassroots level with a view to educating and encouraging mothers to farm basic foods like vegetables within their backyard to feed their children in a bid fill the nutrition gaps.
Explaining further on the draft food policy, Udoma said that, the policy is a 10 year blueprint which is the output of the hard work of dedicated stakeholders and experts who worked in varying capacities to produced a qualitative work of international standard.
In his contribution, the World Bank Lead Specialist (Social Protection and Labour), Professor Foluso Okunmadewa, congratulated the government of Nigeria for pulling together the National Policy on Food and Nutrition and also described it as pleasurable and heart-warming to see that the issue is being prioritized with the new government, especially given the persistently high levels of stunning (37%) in Nigeria, and the increasing trend in wasting and underweight.
Professor Foluso, also stated that the cost benefit analysis show that the nutrition interventions are highly effective and can actually increase gross domestic product of a country, expressing that the World Bank appreciate that the issue of Food Security and Nutrition is on the front burner once again with the belief that this time around it will be concluded and concretized.
Salisu B. Haiba
Assistant Director (Press)
