In a defining moment for nutrition across Africa, 22 Civil Society Alliances from across 25 countries including key state actors, policy makers and development partners gathered in Lagos, Nigeria, from June 10–12, 2025, for the Annual Regional Workshop of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Civil Society Alliances (CSAs).
The workshop marked a critical milestone in charting a unified strategy for addressing malnutrition across West, Central Africa and the Island States of Comoros and Madagascar under the theme; A stronger (strengthened) civil society to accelerate progress on nutrition in West and Central Africa.
Co-hosted by the SUN CSA Nigeria, the SUN Civil Society Network Secretariat, the Francophone and Convergence Hubs of the SUN Movement Global Secretariat, and Expertise France, with co-financing support from UNOPS and the European Union through Expertise France.
Participating countries are Benin,Burundi, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa Republic, Comores, Congo Brazzaville, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinée- Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Madagascar, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.
High-Level Launch & Flag-Off:
Key government decision-makers graced the workshop, which was formally flagged off under the distinguished leadership of the House Committee Chairman on Nutrition and Food Security, Hon. Chike Okafor. Hon. Okafor delivered a strong call to action to reinforce civil society’s advocacy wins around sustainable domestic resource mobilization for nutrition. He affirmed that increasing funding for nutrition-sensitive and nutrition-specific interventions through improved appropriation and the creation of dedicated budget lines across all levels of government is not only feasible but critical. His statement also echoed a broader shift—one that recognizes the role of the private sector in closing the nutrition financing gap. Most notably, his insistence on legislative oversight to ensure “more nutrition for the money” marked a powerful step toward accountability and smarter spending.
During the official launch ceremony, Mallam Chindo Sodangi, Chairman of the CS-SUNN Steering Committee, formally welcomed the SUN CSAs, emphasizing the significance of regional collaboration in accelerating nutrition outcomes. He noted that the gathering presents a vital opportunity to deepen partnerships, sharpen strategic focus and strengthen civil society movement across the continent. He highlighted CS-SUNN’s active cross-border collaborations with CSAs in Kenya, Tanzania, and Ethiopia—efforts that have fostered impactful peer learning and knowledge exchange.
Alexandra Newlands, Head of the SUN Civil Society Network (SUN CSN), described SUN Strategy 4.0 as a pathway for transformation shaped by voices from across the Network. She highlighted efforts to provide more tailored support, expand sub-grants and redesign the Youth Leaders for Nutrition programme to reflect local contexts. “The advocacy strategy has been revised to enable civil society to influence decisions from community to global levels, while partnerships have been strengthened to offer targeted technical support alongside increased peer-to-peer learning through webinars, flagship programmes and regional convenings like the ongoing workshop”, she said.
Mrs. Uju Rochas Anuka, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Health, Focal Person on Nutrition, Office of the Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria emphasized that civil society is not merely a support group but the soul of the nutrition movement. She noted that under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the government is not just including civil society but co-creating with them, ensuring that civil society is at the center of all nutrition efforts.
Mrs. Ladidi Bako-Aiyegbusi, mni, Director and Head of Nutrition at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and SUN Focal Point for Nigeria, aptly captured the essence of the dialogue by affirming that nutrition is not just about food—it is the cornerstone of development.
Civil Society Forge United Front for Nutrition Leadership and Reform
The SUN Civil Society Alliance (CSA) Regional Workshop—brought together voices from across West and Central Africa to shape the SUN CSA Strategy 4.0 (2026–2030). The workshop delivered a powerful outcome: a renewed, African-led vision to strengthen advocacy, improve transparency and unlock sustainable funding for nutrition.
With growing concerns about weak coordination and unstable financing, participants proposed a bold solution: the creation of a Regional Executive Structure to boost leadership, harmonize actions across countries and ensure accountability at all levels.
Throughout the sessions, participants engaged in honest reflections, peer learning and solution-driven dialogue. Youth leadership, community engagement, governance structures and sustainable funding were spotlighted as key pillars to accelerate results. There was a strong push for more investment in CSAs to strengthen their capacity, visibility and influence in national and regional nutrition spaces.
Technical Sessions and Dialogues that Shaped the Agenda
The workshop featured the presentation and collaborative review of the draft Regional SUN CSA Strategy (2026–2030), designed to amplify civil society’s impact on nutrition through stronger governance, sustainable financing and meaningful youth engagement. Facilitated by Judith Kabore and the Head of the SUN CSN, a strategic committee was inaugurated and tasked with finalizing the strategy. The emerging strategy places youth inclusion, community ownership and evidence-based advocacy at the heart of the next phase of the SUN Movement in the region.
Facilitated by Finian Ali, Nigeria’s Youth Leader for Nutrition and Sean Counihan, Senior Advocacy and Youth Advisor at the SUNCSN, the session on Youth engagement in the vitality of CSAs in the region highlighted the vital role of youth in strengthening CSAs and shaping the SUN Strategy 4.0. Learnings from the Youth Leaders for Nutrition Programme and a case study from the SUN Youth Network Nigeria showcased effective grassroots engagement. Participants called for mentorship, equitable partnerships and safeguards against tokenism. As Finian Ali noted, “Young people aren’t just the future—they are the force of now.”
Driving Good Governance for Nutrition: Country Highlights from the Advocacy & Accountability Session
The session focused on the theme of good governance within the SUN CSA framework, highlighting its critical role in ensuring effective coordination and accountability. Participants engaged in reflective discussions, practical exercises, and peer-to-peer learning to explore ways to strengthen governance structures and improve overall network performance.
Facilitated by Dr. Issouf Traoré, the advocacy and accountability session emphasized practical ways to strengthen good governance across SUN CSAs. Through peer learning and hands-on exercises, participants explored tools for improving transparency, coordination and impact at national levels. Country representatives shared real-time progress and innovative approaches already underway.
Burkina Faso showcased a multisectoral strategy that targets families at the community level—strengthening local advocacy, building accountability frameworks, and ensuring inclusive participation in nutrition governance. Ghana reported strong coordination among 40 active member organizations using evidence-based advocacy and national-level partnerships to influence policies and programs. Madagascar, despite facing accountability challenges, demonstrated progress through active engagement with N4G partners, the SUN Global Coordinator and CSOs in high-level nutrition platforms.
In Sierra Leone, the CSA led advocacy on breast milk substitute regulation, nutrition budget tracking, and integrated nutrition into social protection schemes. The alliance also played a central role in shaping the 2021 National Food Systems Dialogue and advancing home-grown school feeding and social behavior change strategies. Across the board, CSAs reaffirmed their role as frontline drivers of nutrition accountability—building stronger systems through inclusive partnerships, policy engagement, and community ownership.
Key Lessons from Country-Level Technical Assistance
Liberia: Civil society advocacy unlocked high-level political support, leading to an $11 million government pledge and an additional $1 million for the Food and Nutrition Policy—demonstrating how CSAs can mobilize political will for lasting impact.
Senegal: Civil society led the coordination and follow-up process, successfully engaging the new government. Their efforts elevated school feeding to a national priority, with three ministries now jointly implementing nutrition actions.
Nigeria: CSAs were instrumental in shaping the national nutrition plan, ensuring inclusive validation and credible commitments. Nigeria’s pledges were backed by a robust accountability framework to monitor delivery and results
Driving Sustainable Funding—CS-SUNN Leads Conversation on Resource Mobilization
Led and co-facilitated by Mr. Sunny Okoronkwo, Executive Secretary of CS-SUNN, participants were equipped with the tools to navigate today’s donor landscape and position civil society organizations (CSOs) for long-term funding success. The session distinguished between traditional nutrition donors and emerging funders, enabling CSAs to refine their strategies to align with donor focus areas.
With an emphasis on evidence-based engagement, Mr. Okoronkwo emphasized the need for CSOs to tailor their proposals to fill critical funding gaps while leveraging Nigeria and other high-focus countries as donor entry points.
A practical mini-mapping exercise allowed participants to identify current nutrition donors and craft three concrete, time-bound steps to deepen their engagement. This hands-on task not only sharpened participants’ strategic thinking but also reinforced the importance of data-backed, well-timed relationship management. Participants were guided through the development of persuasive elevator pitches, mastering how to structure, refine and confidently deliver concise funding appeals—a critical skill in today’s competitive resource environment.
The session culminated in a rich panel discussion moderated by Mr. Okoronkwo, featuring insights from Dr. Andrew Aminu of the Aliko Dangote Foundation and Mr. Prosper Dakura of UNICEF. Key takeaways included the need for alignment with national priorities, targeting the right funding windows and strengthening internal systems for better proposal delivery. The session successfully positioned alliances to not only access more funding but to become strategic drivers of sustainable, country-owned nutrition investments across the region.
Building CSA Communications Capacity to Effectively Communicate Impact
Lilian Okafor, the Senior Communications Officer of SUN CSA Nigeria and Sean Counihan of the SUN CSN Secretariat delivered a compelling and practical session on building communications and knowledge management across Civil Society Alliances (CSAs). Designed to respond directly to the evolving realities of nutrition advocacy in Africa, the session offered deep insight into how CSAs can strategically communicate their impact, craft targeted messages and drive influence through ethical storytelling and digital transformation.
The facilitators combined technical expertise with real-time case studies. Lilian shared CS-SUNN’s successful communication model and cases studies alongside powerful story telling tactics and adaptive content strategies while Sean guided participants through self-assessment tools and ethical story telling strategies. The session covered a full spectrum—from crafting success stories to building internal systems for knowledge capture—giving CSAs a replicable structure. One of the highlights was the exploration of region-specific communication challenges, such as elevating nutrition on policy agendas or using creative arts to drive behaviour change.
With strong interest in continued collaboration around themes like AI in communications, youth leadership and safeguarding the workshop laid the groundwork for deeper learning exchange, peer coaching and co-creation across the SUN CSA network.
Side Events that Made A Difference!
Dining into the Workshop
The welcome dinner provided a warm and convivial atmosphere for SUN CSA delegates from across West and Central Africa to connect, unwind, and build relationships ahead of the technical sessions. It served as an informal platform for networking, cultural exchange, and fostering solidarity among participants, development partners, and hosts. The evening set a positive tone for the week, celebrating the shared commitment to advancing nutrition and showcasing the vibrant hospitality of Lagos, Nigeria.
On-Site Lessons from the Frontlines of Nutrition:
Delegates undertook field visits to Lagos Food Bank Initiative and Women’s Right and Health Project (WRAHP) to engage in peer-to-peer learning and gain practical insights into innovative, community-based nutrition interventions. The visits offered participants from various African countries the opportunity to explore firsthand sustainable food systems, resource mobilization, impact measurement and programme sustainability.
Recognition and Certificate Presentation:
The certificate issuance marked the formal close of the SUN CSA Regional Workshop, recognizing the active participation, commitment and contributions of delegates throughout the intensive sessions. Each certificate symbolized not just attendance, but a renewed dedication to advancing nutrition advocacy, strengthening civil society coordination, and applying the knowledge gained to drive transformative action in their respective countries.
At the SUN Civil Society Network (CSN) Regional Workshop, delegates reaffirmed the critical role of youth engagement, good governance and strategic advocacy in transforming nutrition outcomes across West, Central Africa and the Islands. It was resolved that a unified youth inclusion strategy will be developed under SUN CSA 4.0, alongside the formation of a harmonization committee to integrate youth perspectives into advocacy and programming. Participants also emphasized open governance, regular performance reporting and mutual accountability as pillars for sustaining trust, with capacity strengthening for oversight institutions identified as a top priority.
To advance coordinated action, the workshop called for leveraging digital platforms for donor engagement, regional collaboration and transparency. Fundraising strategies will prioritize diversification—through partnerships with the private sector, philanthropic foundations, and innovative financing mechanisms—to reduce reliance on a single source and ensure long-term sustainability. Participants committed to institutionalizing continuous resource mobilization efforts supported by clear impact data, compelling stories, and evidence-based reporting.
The importance of strategic communication and knowledge management was reinforced, with CSAs encouraged to mainstream communications into their operations, amplify community voices and build stronger media relationships. It was agreed that nutrition communication must be emotional, data-driven and consistent—moving beyond one-off engagements. Continuous engagement with stakeholders, production of localized awareness content and support for government-led initiatives were also recommended to elevate nutrition on national and regional development agendas.
📽️Click the links to watch the Lagos Declaration presentation in both English and French versions.
📺Catch the Channels TV coverage of the SUN CSA Regional Workshop here.
Read a Leadership Newspaper publication on the Workshop here
