Shettima sets up committee to develop funding structure for Nigeria’s nutrition interventions
Vice President Kashim Shettima has constituted a committee to develop a sustainable funding framework for Nigeria’s nutrition programmes, stressing the need to ring-fence financing to ensure that government commitments translate into measurable improvements in people’s lives.
The committee, known as the Nutrition Financing Subcommittee, was established on Thursday during a virtual meeting of the National Council on Nutrition (NCN) chaired by the Vice President.
Shettima in a statement on Thursday by his spokesperson, Stanley Nkwocha, said the committee is expected to develop a financing roadmap within 30 days, which will later be presented to the NCN and the National Economic Council for review and final adoption.
The subcommittee will be chaired by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, with members drawn from key ministries including Education, Water Resources, Women Affairs, and Science and Technology. The Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning will serve as the secretariat.
The Vice President also directed that development partners and private sector players, including the Aliko Dangote Foundation, be involved in the committee’s work.
Speaking on the outcome of the meeting, Shettima said Nigeria must protect funding for nutrition programmes through stronger budgeting and accountability mechanisms.
“Budgeting without release is not financing. Allocation without predictability is not reform. Nutrition must be protected,” he said, adding that ministries, departments and agencies must ensure that approved funds for nutrition programmes are released and effectively implemented.
The Vice President noted that the central issue confronting the country’s nutrition agenda is financing, stressing the need for clear systems to budget, release, track and account for funds across MDAs and states.
