Nutrition Technocrats brainstorm in Makurdi to profer Food and Nutrition solutions for BENUE

The Stakeholders drawn from Specialists, Researchers, Planners, Donors, Implementors have called on the government to sufficiently create a budget line for Nutrition Activities, in a meeting at Metropolitan Hotel Makurdi. 21st September, 2023. 

The high profile meeting was organized by Benue State Planning Commission,

in collaboration with United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF). Good things are clearly coming to Benue.

In a goodwill message from Chief of UNICEF Field Office Enugu, represented by Nutrition Specialists Ngozi Onuora, acknowledged the commitment of Benue State Government in sponsoring the event which is a support to the Global Development Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Mrs Onuora revealed that "13.6% of Benue children do not enjoy 6 months of exclusive breast milk and are underweight, a factor that is inimical to their overall development" and that "malnutrition  has become a silent emergency ".

The entire participants were worried that BENUE Government has not signed to approve the State Policy on Food and Nutrition, which is a setback in the pursuit of the objectives.

 Several other issues of concern discussed, via Paper Presentations, were:

# Need for more advocacy that will guarantee food security.

# Need to create Food and Nutrition Department in every Ministry and government Agencies.

# The essence of strengthening systemic interest in the nutrition of Benue people.

# A call for multi-sectoral collaboration, noting that the health sector has 20% stake, while other sectors have 80%.

Issues discussed cast a shadow of hope on Benue, because if the government shows political will, malnutrition will not be heard of in Benue, considering her Food Basket status. 

In the later part of the meeting, participants pledged commitments thus:

1. Ter Makurdi, Chief Aule Vincent,  promised to involve the traditional institution in bringing solutions.

2. Honorable Dugeri Thomas (a member of Benue State House of Assembly) assured that the Assembly will speedily approve all Nutrition items in the budget.

3. Zenith Bank official, Dr. Patricia Agbatar assured the forum of counterpart funding where necessary; 

4. Representative of Special Advisor on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mrs Veronica Adams assured that their Bureau will work towards creating Nutrition Department in Local Governments.

5. Hellen Keller, Nigeria Red Cross, Community Pharmacists, all affirmed their readiness to close ranks for the breakthrough of the Food and Nutrition Agenda.

So promising and well strategized.

The question is #will the government apply and sustain the needed political will?