Key Points
- FCTA and UNICEF urged the six FCT area councils to take greater ownership of local food and nutrition programmes.
- Officials said effective implementation at the grassroots is critical to reducing malnutrition and improving food security.
- Aid Diversion Committees were inaugurated to promote transparency and accountability in the management of nutrition resources.
Main Story
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and UNICEF have urged the leadership of the six area councils in the FCT to take full ownership of local food and nutrition programmes to reduce malnutrition and strengthen food security.
The Mandate Secretary, Economic Planning, Revenue Generation and Public-Private Partnership Secretariat, Ubokutom Nyah, made the call at the Area Council Committee on Food and Nutrition’s second-quarter meeting and capacity-building programme in Abuja on Monday.
Nyah, who was represented by the acting Permanent Secretary of the secretariat, Uba Bala, described nutrition security as a key driver of human capital development and economic growth.
He acknowledged UNICEF’s financial and technical support but said the success of nutrition policies depended largely on effective implementation at the grassroots.
He urged area council leaders and nutrition focal officers to take ownership of local programmes, improve coordination among relevant sectors and ensure resources reached vulnerable communities.
The Director of Food and Nutrition Department in the secretariat, Princess Gaza-Oluwafemi, said the capacity-building programme was designed to strengthen participants’ understanding of nutrition and the local burden of malnutrition.
She said the training also covered priority nutrition interventions, the first 1,000 days of life, monitoring and evaluation, reporting, multisectoral coordination, the Child Nutrition Fund match mechanism and the development of localised work plans.
Gaza-Oluwafemi urged participants to apply the knowledge gained through the training in their respective area councils, stressing their role in delivering community-based health interventions.
The acting Executive Secretary of the FCT Primary Health Care Board, Dr Dan Gadzama, said area council committees were critical to addressing nutrition challenges among vulnerable groups, particularly pregnant women and young children.
He said local committees served as the link between policies developed at higher levels of government and their implementation in communities.
The representative of the UNICEF-US Department of State Maternal and Child Health Umbrella Grant, Dr Chizoba Steve-Edemba, also stressed the importance of local committees in implementing food and nutrition programmes.
The Issues
The FCT’s nutrition programmes face the challenge of translating policies and strategic plans into effective interventions at the community level.
The emphasis on area council ownership reflects the need for local authorities to coordinate programmes, monitor implementation and ensure resources reach vulnerable households.
The programme also highlights the importance of accountability in managing resources allocated to food and nutrition interventions.
What’s Being Said
“Nutrition security is a cornerstone of human capital development and economic growth.”
— Ubokutom Nyah, Mandate Secretary, Economic Planning, Revenue Generation and Public-Private Partnership Secretariat, FCTA
“While overarching strategic frameworks originate at the Secretariat level, their ultimate success depends entirely on the impact made in local wards, villages, and households.”
— Ubokutom Nyah, Mandate Secretary, Economic Planning, Revenue Generation and Public-Private Partnership Secretariat, FCTA
“Local committees are the essential bridge between policy design and tangible community benefit.”
— Dan Gadzama, Acting Executive Secretary, FCT Primary Health Care Board
What’s Next
The vice chairmen of the six area councils pledged to prioritise the implementation of nutrition policies within their jurisdictions.
Participants are expected to apply the skills gained from the capacity-building programme to improve monitoring, coordination, reporting and implementation of local nutrition interventions.
Aid Diversion Committees were also inaugurated in each of the six area councils to strengthen transparency and accountability in the management of resources.
Bottom Line
FCTA and UNICEF are pushing for stronger grassroots ownership of nutrition programmes across the FCT, with area councils expected to take greater responsibility for implementation. The newly inaugurated Aid Diversion Committees are also expected to strengthen accountability in the use of resources targeted at vulnerable communities.
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