Nigeria Nutrition Food Policy and "For All, and By Everyone Agenda" (Part 2 of 5)
Nigeria Nutrition Food Policy and "For All, and By Everyone Agenda" (Part 2 of 5)
The recent call by the United Nation in her just released Global Report on Nutrition adopted by 193 countries towards the achievement of SDGs through nutrition targets strongly emphasize the important of policy coherence and leadership thrust in achieving her mandate.
The report does not mince word has it pointed out lapses and gaps that impeded the actualization of nutrition goals, giving rise to escalating malnutrition index. Hence necessitates the need to pro-actively embodied a comprehensive down to earth vision of 'Universality and Integration' which involves a multiple goals through shared action
This vision encompasses for all, by everyone agenda. It is a policy that is culturally and organically oriented in tackling malnutrition. It is a bottom up initiative with the intent to spur the needed individuals' motivation and commitment
In the same context, Nigerian National Nutrition and Food Policy envisions an holistic approach to addressing the problems of malnutrition and extreme hunger across different levels of the Nigerian society ranging from the individual, household and communities.
The legal and institutional framework involve sectoral Ministries, institutions of higher learning, private sector, individuals, families, communities, Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Faith -Based Organisations (FBOs), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Media, Professional Associations and the International Agencies for its implementation
Due to the failure of the first Nigerian National Food and Nutrition Policy developed through a multi-stakeholder process in 2001, with little or no effect in bringing about improvement in the nutrition situation in Nigeria due to the fact that the policy suffer from; Ineffective Coordination and Poor Monitoring of Policy Implementation
The gaps brought about the revised Nigerian National Policy on Food and Nutrition , which provides an over arching framework, while recognizing the fact that hunger eradication and nutrition improvement is a shared responsibility of all Nigerians
To this end, it is imperative to pragmatically involve the citizens in ensuring the accomplishment of this mandate .
Citizens involvement transcend beyond institutional structure. It revolves around the vision of universality and integration, which is a vision for all and by everyone
It has to do with the citizens involvement in form of surveillances which are key to making connection across all parts of the society and timely feedbacks of events without any form of bias.
The policy strategy must put people at the centre of everything its does, by inspiring and rallying around the fundamental resource that impacts every single one of us and our families
The strategy to employ must be transformative enough in a way that it does speak to the evolving Nigerian populace. It should be able to commit the people in embracing the policy as their own towards achieving the mandate
The just concluded de-worming exercise I witnessed in the State revealed a big disconnect between the government and the people. The success recorded so far is encouraging but could be far better with citizens' involvement
Going by the revised document, de-worming of children aged 12-59 months and school children every six months was targeted as strategy to tackling micronutrient deficiency
The just concluded de-worming exercise only captured ages 5-14years, leaving out 12-59months
Only mebendazole tablet was administered, leaving out praziquantel, a drug used for treatment of schistomiasis
Not all schools were involved in the exercise; I observed that non-participating schools were more than participating schools during the exercise
The number of non enrolled children for the exercise is too poor
I am also aware that a stipend of #3,000 shall be paid to Community Supervisor/Head Teacher which has not be redeemed
Mob day was never observed by any schools within my purview
Knowing who and what is missing in the whole exercise by handlers for free from citizens is paramount to effective monitoring of implementation of policy, especially in this age of social media where everyone, everywhere with internet enabled cell phone can give eyewitness report, poll or trends of National Nutrition and Food Policy implementation in his or her communities.
The level of corruption in the system is so endemic that it has become a lifestyle, a norm where people creatively design how to beat the system successful. This can be minimized if not eradicated with citizens taking ownership to seeing that the battle of malnutrition is a battle for posterity and better society for all.
Lesson from the 2015 general election depicts shared responsibility at a glance by Nigerians for anyone who knows how to propel the moving train of citizen participation.
The recent call by the United Nation in her just released Global Report on Nutrition adopted by 193 countries towards the achievement of SDGs through nutrition targets strongly emphasize the important of policy coherence and leadership thrust in achieving her mandate.
The report does not mince word has it pointed out lapses and gaps that impeded the actualization of nutrition goals, giving rise to escalating malnutrition index. Hence necessitates the need to pro-actively embodied a comprehensive down to earth vision of 'Universality and Integration' which involves a multiple goals through shared action
This vision encompasses for all, by everyone agenda. It is a policy that is culturally and organically oriented in tackling malnutrition. It is a bottom up initiative with the intent to spur the needed individuals' motivation and commitment
In the same context, Nigerian National Nutrition and Food Policy envisions an holistic approach to addressing the problems of malnutrition and extreme hunger across different levels of the Nigerian society ranging from the individual, household and communities.
The legal and institutional framework involve sectoral Ministries, institutions of higher learning, private sector, individuals, families, communities, Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Faith -Based Organisations (FBOs), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Media, Professional Associations and the International Agencies for its implementation
Due to the failure of the first Nigerian National Food and Nutrition Policy developed through a multi-stakeholder process in 2001, with little or no effect in bringing about improvement in the nutrition situation in Nigeria due to the fact that the policy suffer from; Ineffective Coordination and Poor Monitoring of Policy Implementation
The gaps brought about the revised Nigerian National Policy on Food and Nutrition , which provides an over arching framework, while recognizing the fact that hunger eradication and nutrition improvement is a shared responsibility of all Nigerians
To this end, it is imperative to pragmatically involve the citizens in ensuring the accomplishment of this mandate .
Citizens involvement transcend beyond institutional structure. It revolves around the vision of universality and integration, which is a vision for all and by everyone
It has to do with the citizens involvement in form of surveillances which are key to making connection across all parts of the society and timely feedbacks of events without any form of bias.
The policy strategy must put people at the centre of everything its does, by inspiring and rallying around the fundamental resource that impacts every single one of us and our families
The strategy to employ must be transformative enough in a way that it does speak to the evolving Nigerian populace. It should be able to commit the people in embracing the policy as their own towards achieving the mandate
The just concluded de-worming exercise I witnessed in the State revealed a big disconnect between the government and the people. The success recorded so far is encouraging but could be far better with citizens' involvement
Going by the revised document, de-worming of children aged 12-59 months and school children every six months was targeted as strategy to tackling micronutrient deficiency
The just concluded de-worming exercise only captured ages 5-14years, leaving out 12-59months
Only mebendazole tablet was administered, leaving out praziquantel, a drug used for treatment of schistomiasis
Not all schools were involved in the exercise; I observed that non-participating schools were more than participating schools during the exercise
The number of non enrolled children for the exercise is too poor
I am also aware that a stipend of #3,000 shall be paid to Community Supervisor/Head Teacher which has not be redeemed
Mob day was never observed by any schools within my purview
Knowing who and what is missing in the whole exercise by handlers for free from citizens is paramount to effective monitoring of implementation of policy, especially in this age of social media where everyone, everywhere with internet enabled cell phone can give eyewitness report, poll or trends of National Nutrition and Food Policy implementation in his or her communities.
The level of corruption in the system is so endemic that it has become a lifestyle, a norm where people creatively design how to beat the system successful. This can be minimized if not eradicated with citizens taking ownership to seeing that the battle of malnutrition is a battle for posterity and better society for all.
Lesson from the 2015 general election depicts shared responsibility at a glance by Nigerians for anyone who knows how to propel the moving train of citizen participation.
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