CS-SUNN has implemented a Twitter media campaign calling on State Executive Councils to approve their states’ multi -sectoral plan of action for Nutrition (SMPAN). The campaign, conducted on CS-SUNN Twitter handle, considered the targets of the plan, benefits of implementing the plan and urged state governments to approve and commence implementation of their SMPAN.
States’ Multisectoral Plan of Action for Nutrition provide an overview of the priority nutrition interventions and strategic directions for nutrition in states across Nigeria. It also provides the framework for addressing the problems of food and nutrition insecurity at all levels in the country through a multisectoral approach. CS-SUNN supported the domestication of the National Multisectoral plan of Action for Nutrition by the Kaduna, Nasarawa, Niger, Kano and Lagos state governments under the Partnership for Improving Nigeria Nutrition Systems (PINNS) project. However, the plans are yet to be approved by these state governments.
The highly participatory and interactive campaign executed using a Toolkit comprising messages and social cards/graphics had 148 participants on twitter joining voices to ask state governments to approve their State Multisectoral Plan of Action on Nutrition (SMPAN) using hashtag #ApproveSMPAN #NutritionTuesday. These participants cut across social media influencers, nutrition partners, MDAs, State Governments, Wives of Executive State Governors, CS-SUNN state chapters, the SUN Business Network among others.
The campaign, in addition to delivering the call to these state governments to approve their SMPAN, also improved the visibility of CS-SUNN on social media space and increased the knowledge of nutrition partners on SMPAN and nutrition policy implementation at the state level.
State governments can leverage on the SMPAN to achieve some of the Sustainable Development Goals target by 2030. It is expected that the plan, if approved, will aid state governments to achieve food and nutrition security through investment in agriculture, enhance care-giving capacity and the provision of quality health services for residents of the state. it will also lead to improved capacity to address food and nutrition insecurity, better awareness and understanding of the problem of malnutrition and resource allocation for food and nutrition security at state level.
