Wife of the Lagos State Governor, Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu has pledged her commitment to ensure that the State Multisectoral Plan of Action for Nutrition is approved by the State Executive Council (SEC). She gave the assurance at a High-level advocacy and policy dialogue organized by the Civil Society- Scaling Up Nutrition with the theme “Exploring Innovative Nutrition Policy Alliances for a Healthier Lagos”.
In a keynote address at the occasion, Mrs. Sanwo-Olu reaffirmed her support to the plan saying it bears a comprehensive strategy that will address the challenges of malnutrition in the state. Represented by the Medical Director and Chief Executive Officer, Massey Children Hospital, Lagos, Dr Cecilia Mabogunje, the Governor’s wife said “the policy envisions a state where the citizens are adequately food and nutrition secured with high quality of life and socioeconomic development, contributing to human capital development objectives of the state via its development plan by 2025,”. Mrs. Sanwo-Olu who is also a Nutrition Champion in the state commended CS-SUNN for its shared vision to transform Nigeria and see improved Nutrition outcomes for women and children.
Also speaking, Mrs. Simisola Otuyalo, Director of the state’s Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, noted that malnutrition remains a key health challenge in the state. Otuyalo said that malnutrition impacts negatively on the well-being of citizens and drains the state’s human resources, thus hindering adequate economic development. She outlined the six thematic areas of the state’s food and nutrition policy to include food and nutrition security; enhancing caregiving capacity and provision of quality healthcare services. Others are improving capacity to address food and nutrition insecurity problems; raising awareness and understanding of the problem of malnutrition in Nigeria and resource allocation to food and nutrition at all levels.
CS-SUNN Executive Secretary (ES), Beatrice Eluaka and other stakeholders in Lagos State formally presented a copy of the State’s Policy on Food and Nutrition as well as the Multi-sectoral plan of Action for Nutrition to the Wife of the Lagos State Governor. They also called for the approval of the policy by the Lagos State Executive Council (SEC). The CS-SUNN ES, restated the alliance’s commitment to remain the advocacy vanguard for good health, reducing malnutrition and ensuring accountability and implementation of nutrition policies and plans across the country. She implored the State Executive Council to expediate actions towards approval of the policy and Plan of Action so it can be listed among the milestones achieved on the PINNS Project for Lagos State.
CS-SUNN looks forward to the approval of the plan by the SEC. As at the time of this dialogue which held in April 2021, only Lagos out of the five PINNS states (Kaduna, Kano, Nasarawa and Niger) is yet to formally endorse the policy document.
