The Accountability Gap in Nutrition Financing
The N4G Summit in Paris will once again bring world leaders together to commit to improving nutritional outcomes. However, commitments alone are not enough. Nigeria, like many other nations, has a history of ambitious pledges with weak follow-through.
According to the Global Nutrition Report, while Nigeria has made commitments to improving nutrition governance, there is little evidence of sustained implementation and measurable progress. This gap underscores the need for a robust accountability mechanism.
The Role of CSOs in Holding the Government Accountable
Civil society organizations like CS-SUNN play a crucial role in bridging this accountability gap. CS-SUNN has actively:
- Engaged in budget tracking to ensure nutrition allocations are released and spent effectively.
- Pushed for the domestication of the National Multi-Sectoral Plan of Action for Nutrition (NMPAN) in various states.
- Partnered with legislators to ensure nutrition policies translate into actionable programs.
Recommendations for Strengthening Accountability
For Nigeria to make meaningful progress post-N4G Paris, stakeholders must:
- Implement a nutrition accountability scorecard to track government performance on N4G commitments.
- Mandate annual reporting on nutrition investments and impact assessments.
- Incentivize state-level nutrition action, ensuring that sub-national governments play their role in scaling interventions.
Nigeria cannot afford another cycle of unmet commitments. The N4G 2025 Summit should mark a shift from rhetoric to measurable action.
