The Executive Secretary of Civil Society-Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN), Mr Sunday Okoronkwo has said that the input of the private sector was conspicuously missing throughout the implementation of the Lagos State Multi-sectoral Plan of Action for Food and Nutrition (LSMPFAN) 2019-2023.
Okoronkwo made this known in Lagos on Tuesday during the launch of the document detailing the second phase of the LSMPFAN 2025-2029.
He however urged Lagos State officials and other relevant stakeholders to get the buy-in of the private sector while implementing the second phase and reasoned that the government cannot do it alone.
The executive secretary of CS-SUNN lamented that although the first edition had a performance below 10 per cent, the inclusion of the private sector in future activities has the potential to generate funding which could be their corporate social responsibility (CSR).
To this end, Okoronkwo said that the contribution from the private sector could ultimately boost financing and aid the implementation of intervention projects/programmes.
However, while launching the second phase, Okoronkwo and the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, Mr. Ibrahim Obajomo said there was a need to ensure the input of the private sector in the second edition of the LSMPFAN as a strategy to boost funding to implement the programmes.
In his goodwill message, the executive secretary of CS-SUNN urged Lagos State to view this next phase “as a chance to outperform the previous strategy, which had a performance below 10 per cent.
According to him, the private sector is critical. “We need to carry the private sector along.”
“I call on all desk officers across line Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to ensure they use this strategy to develop their annual work plans, which will feed into their annual operational plan and form the basis of their annual budgets.
“I call on all desk officers across line Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to ensure they use this strategy to develop their annual work plans, which will feed into their annual operational plan and form the basis of their annual budgets.
“I call on all policymakers and permanent secretaries to support the realisation of the set targets in the strategy, fulfilling their pledge to support its implementation by pushing for adequate budget provision and timely releases of the same.
“I call on the Lagos State Ministry of Health and Primary Health Care Board, which are responsible for over 80 per cent of the interventions in the strategy, to take this strategy as their source for all nutrition interventions in the state in the next five years.”
Okoronkwo therefore called for the successful implementation of the strategic plan, adding, “Together, we can build a Lagos where every individual enjoys the right to adequate food and the highest attainable standard of nutritional health.”
On his part, Obajomo similarly affirmed the private sector exclusion during the first phase and urged state officials to strategise on getting their participation subsequently.
UNICEF Nutrition Specialist for South-west and South-south, Ada Ezeogu said while implementing the first edition of LSMPFAN, some progress was made including in exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding rates.
“However, a lot still needs to be done as stunting and wasting rates in Lagos are now on the rise, going from 17.2 per cent stunting and 6.4 per cent wasting (NDHS 2018) to 39.4 per cent and 15.8 per cent respectively (LARCHIS-2022).”
According to Ezeogu, the LSMPFAN 2019-2023 had less than 10 per cent of the required resources needed for its implementation released. She added, “This no doubt contributed to its low achievement.”
UNICEF nutrition specialist described the stunting rate of 39.4 per cent as a public health and development concern, adding, “There is therefore need to strengthen food, health and social protection systems to deliver nutritious, safe, affordable and sustainable diets as well as improved access to quality services.
“This is critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially Goal 2 to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.”
In his keynote address, while unveiling the second LSMPFAN, Obajomo said, “Nutrition is a fundamental human right that all citizens are entitled to; nutrition is not just about eating what is available, but eating good, adequate nutrients and quantity foods that are readily available.”
According to him, the goal of the state Committee on Food and Nutrition established in 2016, is to attain optimal nutritional status for all Lagosians, with particular emphasis on the most vulnerable groups such as young children, pregnant mothers, lactating women, adolescents, physically challenged people, the elderly, and the aged.
He noted that the rationale for implementing the interventions in the Multi-sectoral Plan of Action “is to encourage all citizens to practice adequate nutrition throughout the phases of life.”