Browsing by Author "Afolabi, W. A."

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    Effective multisectoral partnerships among government ministries, agencies, and departments for stronger nutrition programming in selected Nigerian southern states: motivations, achievements, challenges and recommendations
    (Nutrition Society of Nigeria, 2024) Ariyo, O.; Afolabi, W. A.; Ezeogu, A.; Oyetunji, M.; Alarape, K.
    Background: Efforts to address malnutrition and its consequences in Nigeria has been on for more than 40 years with multi-stakeholders' involvement. Presently, there is limited opportunity for experiential learning to enhance performance. Objective: This paper documented shared experiences, challenges and opportunities in nutrition programming, strategies and framework for better co-ordination and resource mobilization as envisioned by members of seven States Committee on Food and Nutrition (SCFN). Methods: A two-day participatory workshop on strengthening multisectoral nutrition programming across states ministries, departments and agencies including technical and brainstorming sessions, group activities, opinion polls and plenary presentations was conducted. Thirty-two SCFN stakeholders from UNICEF Zone B states (Edo, Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo) participated including budget and economic planning, health, agriculture, and academia. Results: Key motivation to promote personnel performance included conducive working environment, government commitment/funding support and performance-based reward. Common achievements included existence of approved State Strategic Action Plan of Food and Nutrition, yearly workplans, regular quarterly meetings, and periodic public nutrition education. Major challenges included poor political will, unfavourable hierarchical structure, inadequate budgetary allocation, weak coordination/collaboration, poor skills/competencies of nutrition desk officers, and dwindling partners' support. Recommendations included mainstreaming nutrition into government political and development agenda, continued sensitization and orientation of policy actors, re-orientation of nutrition desk officers, strengthen collaboration, entrenching the creation of State Council of Nutrition in subsequent nutrition policy review, enhance public awareness and media roles, and institute Nutrition Community of Practice platform. Conclusion: Remarkable progress and surmountable challenges characterise nutrition programming in southern Nigeria. Experience sharing, better coordination, continuous learning and effective stakeholders' engagement are required to enhance nutrition funding, enabling environment, skills and competencies of nutrition actors.
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    Large scale food fortication in Nigeria: Opportunities and challenges: A position of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria
    (Nutrition Society of Nigeria, 2022) Brai, B. I.; Afolabi, W. A.; Ariyo, O.; Oloyede, J.; Anjorin, F.; Owolabi, A.
    Food fortification is widely identified as a cost-effective strategy for addressing micronutrient malnutrition at scale. In Nigeria, food fortification with a focus on vitamin A, iron, zinc, iodine, and other micronutrient remains a major thrust of the effort to eliminate micronutrient malnutrition. Though the step is laudable, the persisting high burden of micronutrient malnutrition suggests the need to re-think the design and implementation of the fortification programmes. This re-thinking and revision of strategy are premised on various conditions including irregular food consumption data and changing dietary patterns, poor awareness of the benefits of fortified foods, poor compliance to fortification standards, and lack of functional information system on food fortification, among others.Based on the current understanding of the nutrition and food fortification landscape in Nigeria, the Nutrition Society of Nigeria affirms that large-scale food fortification remains a cost-effective strategy to promote a healthy diet and adequate micronutrient intakes and commends the efforts of the various stakeholders especially the development partners and the government's promotion of enabling environment. However, re-thinking the implementation strategy and overhauling the fortification programme to ensure quality, transparency, and possibly digital transformation that can meet real-time data needs to guide decision-making is essential. Thus, it is necessary to ascertain the commonly consumed foods, the usually consumed portion sizes, and the current coverage of the various national micronutrient deficiencies interventions; strengthen social marketing programmes on proper handling and use of fortified foods; improve enforcement of compliance to fortifications standards; strengthen National Nutrition Information Management System to include food fortification information; explore strategies to increase the affordability of the premixes, and develop and implement a Monitoring and Evaluation framework of food fortification programmes.