Political Economist

Top Menu

  • Home
  • About us
  • Contact us

Main Menu

  • Local News
  • World News
  • Business & Economy
  • Sports
  • Commentaries
  • Home
  • About us
  • Contact us

logo



Political Economist

  • Local News
  • World News
  • Business & Economy
  • Sports
  • Commentaries
  • AstraZeneca recognised as a Top Employer in South Africa, Kenya in 2021

  • New Report on African media shows western sources dominate how the continent’s story is told

  • COVID-19: Community health workers must be better supported in 2021, the Year of the Healthcare Worker – global health technology experts 

  • WIKE MAKES HISTORY, OTHERS MAKE EXCUSES; BY PAULINUS NSIRIM

  • Still too early to gauge how AfCFTA will affect sports, entertainment industry – Centurion Law Group

Local NewsPress Releases
Home›Local News›Malnutrition: FG, States have invested about N3.8 billion in procuring Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods – Osinbajo

Malnutrition: FG, States have invested about N3.8 billion in procuring Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods – Osinbajo

By Admin
August 18, 2020
381
0

The Buhari administration is making progress tackling the problem of malnutrition in the country through the implementation of various intervention programmes, and increased funding, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Osinbajo’s spokesman, Laolu Akande, in a statement in Abuja, said the vice president spoke  on Tuesday at the 2020 Virtual Conference on Nutrition in Nigeria, organised by the Aisha Buhari Foundation in collaboration with development partners.

Speaking on the progress made by the Federal Government, the Vice President said though Nigeria has distinct factors that has exacerbated the situation, the Federal Government has in the past few years demonstrated commitment towards addressing the problem through increase budgeting for nutrition activities and targeting it’s Social Investment Programmes towards tackling malnutrition.

According to him, “…the administration ensured progressive increases in budgetary allocations to nutrition activities in the country. There has been an increased investment of about N3.8 billion by Federal and State governments especially for the procurement of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF).

He also listed, “…the revitalization of the Primary Health Care System with nutrition as the primary focus, the promotion of optimum breastfeeding and improved quality of complementary food.”

Continuing, Prof. Osinbajo said tremendous progress have been recorded as a result of the administration’s efforts in collaboration with other stakeholders.

“Noticeably, there have been a decline in stunting and wasting; stunting, from about 44% in 2017 to about 37% in 2019 and wasting from 10.8% in 2017 to 7% in 2019, and an increase in exclusive breast feeding amongst children under 6 months from about 24% in 2017 to 29% in 2019.

The VP added that the Social Investment Programmes (SIPs has also been helpful), “particularly the Home-Ground School Feeding Programme for public schools currently feeds over 9 million children across 34 States and the FCT, serving one nutritious meal every day; and our Conditional Cash Transfer Scheme that has provided cash transfers to about 1.2 million beneficiaries so far, to boost income.”

Speaking on how government in collaboration with stakeholders can sustain the gains, the Vice President said improved collaboration and innovative thinking would be required to scale interventions and effectively address the problem.

“Clearly, we need to increase domestic financing. And the only way to do so is to look more at what we can do at both the Federal and State levels. But more importantly, to direct funding to communities with the greatest needs.

“I think civil society advocacy before the National Assembly is crucial to drawing attention to what you consider as priority. There are always several competing needs for resources and sometimes your strong voices especially directed as the debates that are going on can make a real difference in what ends up in the budgets, not just in the federal but even in the state budgets.”

Continuing, the Vice President said “budget funds from both states and federal governments cannot meet all of the needs. We believe that ultimately, the pool of funds from the mandatory health insurance programme will be an important contributor to financing nutrition.

“We need to aggregate a pool of fund outside the budget fund which is why our proposal for mandatory health insurance is one that we consider very important not just for health care but also for the nutrition interventions that we have proposed.

The Vice President however noted that raising funds alone might not address the issue, stressing that “the efficient and transparent deployment of resources and coordinating the contributions of our local and international partners” was important for better results to be achieved.

In her address at the event, the First Lady, Hajiya Aisha Buhari, represented by the Wife of the Vice President, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo, said the conversation about ending malnutrition in Nigeria should be embraced by all and sundry given the effect of the problem on society.

According to her, “the conversation about stopping malnutrition in Nigeria must continue. We will only stop when we have created systems that can guarantee the survival of our children, we will only stop when governments at the various levels back up their commitments to tackling the problem, and when the civil society realizes its role and commitment to this cause.”

Other participants at the conference include Governor Mohammad Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, Minister of Health, Prof. Osagie Ehanire; Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Mr Clement Agba; the representative of the Minister of Finance, amongst others.

TagsAisha BuhariDolapo OsinbajoMohammad InuwaOsagie EhanireRUTFYemi Osinbajo
Previous Article

Mompha fights back, sues EFCC for alleged ...

Next Article

Imo Govt disagrees opposes Okorocha’s plan to amend ...

Related articles More from author

  • vaccines
    Local News

    Healthcare: We’re expecting to see several functional general hospitals in the 774 LGs in Nigeria – FG

    January 14, 2020
    By Admin
  • Breaking News

    FG suspends ‘Ruga’ programme, approves NEC’s NLTP

    July 3, 2019
    By Admin
  • Breaking News

    Security tops agenda as Osinbajo presides over NEC meeting

    August 16, 2018
    By Admin
  • Local News

    Governors’ Forum, Summiteers Vote for State Police

    February 13, 2018
    By Admin
  • Videos

    Insurgency: Take urgent steps to settle entitlements, welfare packages of victims – Buhari tells Service Chiefs

    October 16, 2019
    By Admin
  • commercial
    Local News

    Nigeria, Egypt advocate concerted efforts to tackle terrorism in Sahel region, as Egypt pledges support for Adesina’s candidacy

    October 28, 2019
    By Admin

You may be interested

  • Local News

    Nigeria Has Lost a Lot for Failing to Hold the NSF Since 2012 – Dalung

  • Pfizer
    Breaking NewsWorld News

    Pfizer to outsource some drug production, focus on COVID-19 experimental vaccine

  • World News

    Boeing to invest $1 billion in global safety drive – Sources

Fidelity Advert
  • LATEST REVIEWS

  • TOP REVIEWS

  • NDIC Pays N1.45bn to Over 16,000 Depositors of 34 Closed DMBs in 2017– Report

    0
  • Gboko killings: Police DPO under interrogation, others arrested —CP

  • NSE market indices drop by 1.64% after Christmas holidays

    0

    Timeline

    • January 27, 2021

      President Buhari passes “COVID-19 Health Protection Regulations 2021” law, stipulates fine or 6 months in prison for violators

    • January 27, 2021

      Army Deploys 300 Female Officers To Kaduna-Abuja Highway

    • January 27, 2021

      FG engages 77,400 youth volunteers on Clean Nigeria Campaign

    • January 27, 2021

      COVID-19: Suspend spending N10bn on vaccines production, provide specific detailed plan – NASS ells Ministry Of Health

    • January 27, 2021

      Alleged Cyber Fraud: Court admits CD as evidence in resumed trial of “Naira Marley”

    Latest Comments

    • Justopec
      on
      April 24, 2017
      Good one for the NPF.

      Police foil another suicide bomb attempt in Borno, kill three bombers

    • Justice Shedrack
      on
      April 24, 2017
      Nice

      Police foil another suicide bomb attempt in Borno, kill three bombers

    • Anonymouse
      on
      February 8, 2017
      This is nice...

      Qatar Airways makes history, completes first longest non-stop flight of 16 hours from Doha to New ...

    • Justice Shedrack
      on
      January 19, 2017
      Na wa ooooo

      Confusion in Gambia, Jammeh stays put, Barrow to be sworn in at Gambia embassy in Senegal

    • Taje
      on
      November 10, 2016
      It's true. Debrecen looks like africa and not europe. Too much "blackness"

      Exclusive: Nigeria Has Highest Number of International Students in Hungarian University, Says Ambassador Yunusa

    logo

    Political Economist is a liberal news magazine with global affiliations.

    We promote free enterprise and act as a catalyst for the growth of knowledge economy. We are proudly pan-Nigeria yet richly spiced with African and global news. We offer a fair and balanced news reportage presented by our team of well-heeled professional journalists...

    About us

    • 5 Olutosin Ajayi Street, By CPM Church, Ajao Estate, Lagos State, Nigeria
    • +234 805 680 1124
    • info@politicaleconomistng.com
    • Recent

    • Popular

    • Comments

    • Terrorism

      President Buhari passes “COVID-19 Health Protection Regulations 2021” law, stipulates fine or 6 months in ...

      By Admin
      January 27, 2021
    • DHQ

      Army Deploys 300 Female Officers To Kaduna-Abuja Highway

      By Admin
      January 27, 2021
    • Nigeria

      FG engages 77,400 youth volunteers on Clean Nigeria Campaign

      By Admin
      January 27, 2021
    • vaccines

      COVID-19: Suspend spending N10bn on vaccines production, provide specific detailed plan – NASS ells Ministry ...

      By Admin
      January 27, 2021
    • Jonathan Sacks IGP Abba, Appoints Arase

      By Admin
      April 21, 2015
    • Zinox iPower Inverter Claws to Market Dominance

      By Admin
      November 24, 2014
    • Police foil another suicide bomb attempt in Borno, kill three bombers

      By Admin
      April 24, 2017
    • Your Kidney is Your Life, Watch Your Lifestyle, Counsels Dr. Amira

      By Admin
      February 27, 2015
    • Justopec
      on
      April 24, 2017

      Police foil another suicide bomb attempt in Borno, kill three bombers

      Good one for the ...
    • Justice Shedrack
      on
      April 24, 2017

      Police foil another suicide bomb attempt in Borno, kill three bombers

      Nice
    • Anonymouse
      on
      February 8, 2017

      Qatar Airways makes history, completes first longest non-stop flight of 16 hours from Doha to New ...

      This is nice...
    • Justice Shedrack
      on
      January 19, 2017

      Confusion in Gambia, Jammeh stays put, Barrow to be sworn in at Gambia embassy in Senegal

      Na wa ooooo

    Find us on Facebook

    Follow us

    • Home
    • About us
    • Contact us
    • Privacy Policy
    © Copyright Political Economist. All rights reserved.