NATIONAL POLICY ON

FOOD AND NUTRITION

IN NIGERIA
Fruit and
Bread,
vegetables
other cereals,
and potatoes

Milk and dairy

Meat, fish and products
alternatives
Food containing
fat and foods
containing sugar

Produced by: Ministry of Budget and National Planning 2016

 NATIONAL POLICY ON
FOOD AND NUTRITION
IN NIGERIA

Ministry of Budget and National Planning

Plot 421 Constitution Avenue
Central Business District
Abuja.

2016
 National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria

Abbreviations/Acronyms
AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
ARV Anti-retroviral
BCC Behaviour Change Communication
BMI Body Mass Index
BMS Breast Milk Substitute
CAADP Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme
CBOs Community-Based Organizations
CMAM Community Management of Acute Malnutrition
CSOs Civil Society Organizations
DFID Department for International Development
ENA Essential Nutrition Actions
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization
FBOs Faith Based Organizations
FMOH Federal Ministry of Health
GARPR Global Aids Response Country Progress Report, Nigeria
HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus
ICN International Conference on Nutrition
IDA Iron Deficiency Anaemia
IDD Iodine Deficiency Disorder
IFPRI International Food Policy Research Institute
IMAM Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition
IMNCH Integrated Maternal Newborn and Child Health
ITP In Patient Therapeutic Program
IYCF Infant and Young Child Feeding
LBNS Liquid Based Nutrient Supplement
LGA Local Government Area
LGCFN Local Government Committee on Food and Nutrition
LO-ORS Low Osmolarity Oral Rehydration Solution
MAM Moderate Acute Malnutrition
MBNP Ministry of Budget and National Planning
MDAs Ministries Departments and Agencies
MDGs Millennium Development Goals
M&E Monitoring and Evaluation
MICS Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey

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 National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria

MNDC Micronutrient Deficiency Control

NAFDAC National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control
NBS National Bureau of Statistics
NCFN National Committee on Food and Nutrition
NDHS Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey
NFA National Fortification Alliance
NFCNS Nigeria Food Consumption and Nutrition Survey
NFSP National Food Security Programme
NGOs Non – Governmental Organizations
NCN National Council on Nutrition
NNN National Nutrition Network
NPC National Planning Commission
NPHCDA National Primary Health Care Development Agency
NSHDP National Strategic Health Development Plan
OTP Out Patient Therapeutic Program
OVC Orphan and Vulnerable Children
PATH Programme for Appropriate Technology in Health
PLWHA People Living With HIV/AIDS
RRA Rapid Rural Appraisal
RUTF Ready to Use Therapeutic Foods
SAM Severe Acute Malnutrition
SBCC Social and Behavioral Change Communication
SCI Save the Children International
SCFN State Committee on Food and Nutrition
SDGs Sustainable Development Goals
SMART Standardized Monitoring Assessment of Relief and Transitions
SUN Scaling up Nutrition
UN United Nations
UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund
USI Universal Salt Iodization
USI-TF Universal Salt Iodization Task Force
VAD Vitamin A Deficiency
VP Vice President
WHA World Health Assembly
WHO World Health Organization

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 National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria

Table of Contents

ABBREVIATIONS / ACRONYMS ii
FOREWARD v
PREFACE vi

CHAPTER ONE: Introduction 1

1.1 Background 1
1.2 Food and Nutrition Situation 3
1.3 Guiding Principles of the Policy 8

CHAPTER TWO: Vision, Goal and Objective of the Food

and Nutrition Policy 9
2.1 Vision Statement 9
2.2 Goal 9
2.3 Objectives 9
2.4 Targets 10

CHAPTER THREE: Strategies 12

CHAPTER FOUR: Institutional Arrangement, Legal Framework

and Financing 22

CHAPTER FIVE: Monitoring and Evaluation 35

Glossary of Terms 39

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 National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria

Foreword
Malnutrition and nutrition–related issues continue to be of public health
concern in Nigeria. It manifests itself mainly as under nutrition, over nutrition
and micronutrient deficiencies. Since the beginning of this decade, the close
relationship between malnutrition and under-development has continued to be
emphasized, particularly at the various international summits aimed at
improving the welfare of women and children. An important conclusion that
emerged from these discussions and in particular, from the 2014 International
Conference on Nutrition (ICN2), held in Rome, was that nutritional well-being
of all people is a pre-condition for development and a key objective of progress
in human development. Therefore, reducing malnutrition is an important goal
of development, since malnutrition not only slows development, it leads directly
to suffering and death.

The recent review of the National Policy on Food and Nutrition by the Federal
Government of Nigeria is another major land mark in the effort of the present
administration in addressing the problem of malnutrition, which has been most
devastating among young children, pregnant and lactating mothers. The
policy has been revised to add value and strengthen the synergy among sectors
and other initiatives of Government and partners. It is expected that all other
policies that have any bearing on food and nutrition should be updated in line
with this policy. As a follow up to this, robust intervention programme and cost
effective action plan is to be developed to drive the implementation of the
policy for effective results.

This in turn will lay a solid foundation for higher productivity and improved
physical and mental development among the citizenry.

With the approval of the Policy by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), I
therefore recommend effective implementation of this Policy to achieve the
objective of ensuring optimal nutritional status for all Nigerians.

Zainab S. Ahmed (Mrs)

Honourable Minister of State
Ministry of Budget and National Planning
Abuja.

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 National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria

Preface
Malnutrition has continued to remain a key health challenge in developing
economies, including Nigeria. Regardless of which level, individual or
community, it impacts negatively on the well-being of the people, draining the
nation's human resources, thus hindering adequate economic development
with enormous costs in human, social and economic terms.
In the present democratic dispensation, the country has undergone some social
and economic transformations that have resulted in the improvement of the
citizens standards of health and food consumption. These transformations have
impacted on reducing poverty, social exclusion and consequently on hunger
and malnutrition.

In realization of food security and access to adequate basic health services as

prerequisites for good nutrition, the Federal Government of Nigeria strongly
committed herself to reducing hunger and malnutrition, using a multi-sectoral
and multi-disciplinary programme approach including various interventions at
the community as well as the national level.

The reviewed National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria, provides an

overarching framework, covering the multiple dimensions of food and nutrition
improvement. The Policy has been revised to add value and strengthen synergy
among sectors and other initiatives of government and partners. It recognizes
the need for public and private sector involvement, and that hunger eradication
and nutrition improvement is a shared responsibility of all Nigerians.
The Policy has been updated with the aim of addressing the problems of
malnutrition and extreme hunger across different levels of the Nigerian society
ranging from the individual, household and communities, thus contributing to
the overall national development. A holistic approach is envisioned for the
implementation of this reviewed Policy, which shall involve sectoral Ministries,
institutions of higher learning, the 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.

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 National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria

The adoption of this Policy allows the enactment of guiding principles and
pertinent strategic options for efficient implementation mechanisms for nutrition
interventions to address malnutrition in Nigeria.

Nana Fatima Mede (Mrs)

Permanent Secretary
Ministry of Budget and National Planning

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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background
The National Food and Nutrition Policy is a document that provides the
framework for addressing the problems of food and nutrition insecurity in
Nigeria, from the individual, household, community and up to the national
level. It guides the identification, design, and implementation of intervention
activities across different relevant sectors. Nutrition is a multi-sectoral and multi-
disciplinary issue involving various sectors including health, agriculture,
science and technology, education, trade, economy, and industry. In
recognition of this, various sectors in Nigeria have developed policies and
strategies to address the nutrition perspectives of their mandates. These
documents include:
i. The National Health Policy and Guidelines;
ii. The National Agricultural Policy;
iii. The Agricultural Transformation Agenda;
iv. Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy;
v. National Policy on Education;
vi. National Policy on School Health;
vii. National Policy on Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF);
viii. Early Child Care and Development;
ix. National Population Policy;
x. National Policy on HIV/AIDS and OVCs;
xi. National Policy on Non-Communicable Diseases;
xii. National Policy on Gender Mainstreaming;
xiii. National Policy on Security;
xiv. National Policy on Food Safety and its Implementation Strategy and
xv. National Policy on Adolescent Health and Development in Nigeria.

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Despite these policies, strategies and programmes, the multi-sectoral and multi-
disciplinary nature of nutrition makes the coordination of food and nutrition
activities a challenge. In 1990, a National Committee on Food and Nutrition
(NCFN) was established and domiciled in the then Federal Ministry of Science
and Technology, to, among other things, coordinate food and nutrition actions
and formulate a National Food and Nutrition Policy, with a National Plan of
Action. The phasing-out of that ministry in 1993 led to the transfer of NCFN to
the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH). In 1994, the NCFN and emerging
programmes were relocated to the National Planning Commission (NPC) now
known as Ministry of Budget and National Planning (MB&NP) because of its
unique position as the government agency responsible for coordination and
monitoring of all national policies and programmes, including budgetary
processes, as well as all technical assistance in the country.
The first National Food and Nutrition Policy was developed through a multi-
stakeholder process and produced by the NPC in 2001. However, this policy
had little or no effect in bringing about improvement in the nutrition situation in
Nigeria due to the fact that the policy and the plan of action arising from it were
not adequately implemented. This has been due largely to poor funding as well
as ineffective coordination and monitoring of the policy implementation.

Emerging concerns in the science, practice and programming of food and

nutrition activities informed the review of the policy. Some of these emerging
critical issues include nutrition in the first one thousand days of life, nutrition
during emergencies and upsurge in the prevalence of diet-related non-
communicable diseases.

Similarly, there is increasing recognition of nutrition as a necessary condition

for national development as espoused in the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs). It is also worthy to note that the post-2015 Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) require actions that will promote nutrition in national
development.

The urgent need to scale up high-impact and cost-effective nutrition

interventions, amplified by Nigeria's recent sign up with the Scaling Up
Nutrition (SUN) movement in 2011 further justifies the need for the review.

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1.2 Food and Nutrition Situation in Nigeria

Adequate food and optimal nutritional status are the foundation blocks for the
building of healthy, secure lives and thus form the basis for development in any
nation. It is well-known that the basic cause of the food and nutrition problem is
poverty entrenched in the mechanisms of governance and institutions which
drive the economy. Conceptually, malnutrition in Nigeria arises from poverty,
gaps in governance and institutional weaknesses as basic causes whilst food
insecurity, inadequate care and access to health services are underlying
causes and inadequate food intake and diseases are the immediate causes.

1.2.1 Poverty Situation in Nigeria

In spite of Nigeria's abundant natural and human resource endowment,
poverty has remained pervasive, multifaceted and chronic. Given the most
recent data available, it is estimated that approximately 39% of Nigerians live
below the poverty line (MDG 2013 report). Children from the poorest
economic quartile have been shown to be four times more likely to be
malnourished than children from the richest households (Multiple Indicator
Cluster Surveys [MICS, 2011]. Thus, analysis of the current food and nutrition
situation needs to recognise the effects of poverty and make realistic
projections of how the goals and objectives of poverty-reduction efforts,
including the macro-economic framework, will affect the achievements of this
revised policy.

1.2.2 Food Security

Food insecurity is closely linked to hunger and malnutrition, whilst malnutrition
is the most serious consequence of food insecurity. The nature and extent of
hunger and food insecurity in Nigeria are of public health concern. Available
data showed that total average household expenditure on food for the period
between 2009 and 2010 was about 65% (NBS, 2012). Nigeria was ranked
38th out of 76 on the 2014 Global Hunger Index (IFPRI, 2014), whilst another
report indicated that the absolute number of food-insecure people was 17
million in 2012, and projected to rise to 43 million by 2022 if the situation is
not addressed. The lack of food is the most critical dimension of poverty and is
one of the MDGs indicators.
Agriculture provides employment for close to 70% of the Nigerian population

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and accounts for almost one-third of the country's Gross Domestic Product. The
government, in recognition of the importance of the agricultural sector, initiated
and endorsed several national projects and programmes aimed at rapidly
growing the sector. The initiatives include the buy-in into the Comprehensive
Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP), the Seven-Point Agenda,
the National Food Security Program (NFSP), and the presidential initiatives on
fish, cassava, rice, and other foods, as well as the Agricultural Transformation
Agenda.

In Nigeria, agricultural production has remained small-scale at subsistence

level and largely dependent on rainfall. Investment in agriculture by
government has not significantly contributed to reduction of undernutrition at
the rate needed to meet the national development goals. The economic
consequence of this state of food insecurity in terms of productivity loss is huge
and requires urgent attention.

The food distribution system in Nigeria remains largely inefficient due to factors
such as crop seasonality, inadequate storage technology and facilities,
inadequate transport and distribution systems, as well as market information.
All of these result in considerable spatial and seasonal variation in food
production and availability and are responsible for the considerable variations
in food prices across the country. The problem is aggravated by lack of
adequate storage facilities and basic preservation techniques at the household
level.

1.2.3 Nutrition Situation

Malnutrition and nutrition-related morbidity continue to be of public health
concern in Nigeria. Malnutrition is widespread in the entire country, although
the scale and scope varies between regions and across urban-rural divide.
Malnutrition manifests mainly as undernutrition, overnutrition and
micronutrients (minerals and vitamins) deficiencies.

The trend in undernutrition among children under five has not shown significant
changes as revealed by the Nigeria Demographic and Health Surveys (NDHS)
2003, 2008 and 2013. Stunting rate among under-five reduced from 42% in
2003 to 41% in 2008 and to 37% in 2013. On the other hand, wasting

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 National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria

among under-five increased from 11% in 2003 to 14% in 2008 and to 18% in
2013. Underweight within the same period was 24%, 23%, and 29%,
respectively, which indicated little or no improvement in under-five nutritional
status in the last decade.

Undernutrition reduces economic advancement of nations by at least 8% due to

direct productivity losses and losses due to poorer cognition and reduced
schooling (Horton and Steckel, 2013). Thus, such countries will be unable to
break out of poverty and sustain economic advances without ensuring that their
populations are adequately nourished on a sustainable basis. This poor state
of child nutrition in Nigeria is an indication of inadequate dietary intake,
inadequate care of women and children as well as inadequate access to health
care and living in an unhealthy environment. About 23% of newborns in
Nigeria receive breast milk within one hour of birth, whilst the exclusive
breastfeeding rate is 17% (NDHS, 2013). During the transition period from 6
to 9 months, when a child is expected to receive a mix of breast milk and
complementary food, only 10% of children 6-23months were fed in
accordance with infant and young child feeding recommendations (NDHS,
2013).

Indices such as above, position Nigeria as one of the 20 countries responsible

for 80% of global child malnutrition (Bryce et al, 2008). Prevalence of chronic
malnutrition among women of childbearing age in Nigeria is increasing as
25% and 11% of women are obese and overweight, (BMI ≥ 25.0) and 11%
are thin (BMI ≤ 18.5) in NDHS 2013 when compared to 12% in NDHS 2008.
This is an indication of the emerging double burden of malnutrition in the
country. Maternal undernutrition results in low birth weight which, in turn,
contributes to high infant mortality and a significant factor in the high incidence
of maternal mortality in Nigeria. Infant and under-five mortality in Nigeria have
been on the decline in the last decade, but have remained unacceptably high
at 97 per 1,000 live births and 158 per 1,000 live births in 2011 respectively
(MICS 2011). According to NDHS 2013, infant and under- five mortality rates
are: 69/1000 live births and 128/1000 live births respectively.
In recent times, undernutrition has been found to co-exist with overnutrition both
at the community and household levels. Public health challenges in Nigeria
have focused on issues related to undernutrition and infectious diseases. Whilst
the fight against undernutrition has continued, change in lifestyle, diet and

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economic circumstances have predisposed some of the population towards

overnutrition and emerging nutrition challenges. This duality of both
undernutrition and overnutrition co-existing together in a community or
household is referred to as 'double burden of malnutrition'. The cause of double
burden of malnutrition is complex with many factors, including nutritional,
biological, social, environmental and genetic.

Data on micronutrient deficiency status is limited, and the available summary

reports show that 29.5% and 13.1% of children and women, respectively, are
Vitamin-A deficient (NFCNS, 2003). Nutritional anaemia prevalence among
mothers and children, respectively, were 24.3% and 27.5%. The high maternal
mortality is, in part, attributable to the high incidence of anaemia. The
deficiencies of essential micronutrients have been reported to have substantial
adverse effects on child survival and development. In particular, Vitamin A and
iodine deficiency have adverse effects on child health and survival, whilst
iodine and iron deficiency, together with stunting, have been reported to
contribute to children not achieving their full developmental potential (Black et
al, 2013).

1.2.4 Health System and Disease

It is estimated that in Nigeria, the number of people living with HIV/AIDS
(PLWHA) is about 3.1 million, whilst its prevalence stands at 4.1% (GARPR,
2012). Therefore, promotion of good nutrition practices, access to health
services including antiretroviral (ARV), and exclusive breastfeeding for the first
six months for infants born of mothers living with HIV/AIDS is part of the rapid
advice policy for nutrition in the context of HIV. Nutrition consideration is a
priority in ensuring optimal nutrition in special circumstances such as HIV/AIDS
and other disease conditions.

In response to the poor state of maternal and child health, the Nigerian
Government, in collaboration with development partners in the health sector,
developed the Integrated Maternal Newborn and Child Health (IMNCH)
strategy in 2007 to provide the framework that will guide the acceleration of
the attainment of MDGs 4 and 5. The strategy comprises evidence-based
interventions and an investment plan using the marginal budgeting for
bottlenecks to guide implementation. The 2012 IMNCH strategy review

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 National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria

identified wider nutrition coverage as key to Maternal, Newborn and Child

Health (MNCH) interventions, whilst IMNCH has been incorporated into the
National Strategic Health Development Plan (NSHDP) for Nigeria. In
furtherance of this effort, the Government developed several guidelines to
direct implementation, including guidelines on IYCF, Nutritional Care and
Support for People Living with HIV/AIDS, Control of Micronutrient Deficiencies,
Community Management of Acute Malnutrition, etc. Other efforts made by the
government include its pledge to fund health system at US$31.63 per capita
through increasing budget allocation, strengthening integration of services for
MNCH, and increasing the number of core service providers. In line with the
UN Commission on Life Saving Commodities and Information and
Accountability for Women and Children, the government launched the Saving
One Million Lives Initiative in 2012 and gave approval for the 2012 National
Essential Medicines Scaling Up Plan.

1.2.5 Nutrition in Emergencies

Nutrition response to emergency situations has been limited in Nigeria.
Natural and man-made disasters, climatic shocks, conflicts and insecurity are
major causes of hunger and malnutrition due to lack of access by individuals to
produce, sell and buy food. Basic services become over-stretched; women and
children under five and the elderly make up the largest percentage of
vulnerable population and would therefore need urgent humanitarian
assistance, especially if they are also displaced. Although the capacity to
predict the occurrence and gravity of emergency situations has improved in the
country, adherence to early warning and activation of response plans are
poor. Whilst time lag is a constraint, the financial, technical and logistics
capacities are challenging. Thus, nutrition considerations must be incorporated
into emergency preparedness as well as the emergency response and
management systems in the country.

1.2.6 Nutrition and the MDGs

Nutrition was key to the attainment of MDGs whose target was 2015. There
has been little improvement in the health and nutrition status of children under
five in the last decade. It was the realisation of the need to fast track the
attainment of the MDGs and subsequently Sustainable Development Goals

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 National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria

(SDGs) that prompted the renewed focus on evidence-based, cost-effective

interventions aligned to the SUN movement.

1.3 Guiding Principles of the Policy

The guiding principles for implementation of this policy shall include the
following:
i. Prioritizations of poverty reduction and safety nets for the poor in
government budgetary allocations;
ii. Recognition of adequate food and nutrition as a human right and
adopting a rights-based approach to planning, budgeting, and
implementation of the policy;
iii. Gender considerations and the needs of all vulnerable groups are
integral to all components of the policy;
iv. Recognition of the multi-sectoral and cross-cutting natures of food and
nutrition;
v. Utilisation of partnership and the network of stakeholders in
harnessing resources for the implementation of the policy;
vi. Recognition of nutrition as a developmental issue and incorporating
food and nutrition considerations into development plans at all levels
of government;
vii. Establishment of a viable system for guiding and coordinating food
and nutrition activities undertaken in the various sectors and at various
levels of the society; and
viii. Reduction of malnutrition (undernutrition and overnutrition) through
SUN activities with high impact and low cost interventions.

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CHAPTER TWO

VISION, GOAL AND

OBJECTIVES OF
THE FOOD AND
NUTRITION POLICY

2.1 Vision Statement

A country where the people are equitably food and nutrition-secure with
high quality of life and socioeconomic development contributing to human
capital development objectives of Nigeria Vision 20:20:20 and beyond.

2.2 Goal
To attain optimal nutritional status for all Nigerians, with particular
emphasis on the most vulnerable groups such as children, adolescents,
women, elderly, and groups with special nutritional needs.

2.3 Objectives
To achieve the goal of attaining an optimal nutritional status by the year
2025, a number of objectives and targets are articulated as follows:
I. To improve food security at the national, community and
household levels;
ii. To reduce undernutrition among infants and children,
adolescents and women of reproductive age;
iii. To significantly reduce micronutrient deficiency disorders,
especially among the vulnerable group;
iv. To increase the knowledge of nutrition among the populace

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 National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria

and nutrition education into formal and informal trainings;

v. To promote optimum nutrition for people in especially difficult
circumstances, including PLWHA;
vi. To prevent and control chronic nutrition-related non-
communicable diseases;
vii. To incorporate food and nutrition considerations into the
Federal, State and Local Government sectoral development
plans;
viii. To promote and strengthen Research, Monitoring and
Evaluation of food and nutrition programme;
ix. To strengthen systems for providing early warning information
on the food and nutrition situation; and
x. To ensure universal access to nutrition-sensitive social
protection.

2.4 Targets
i. Reduce the proportion of people who suffer hunger and
malnutrition by 50% by 2025;
ii. Increase exclusive breastfeeding rate from 17% in 2013 to
65% by 2025;
iii. Increase the percentage of children age six months and above
who receive appropriate complementary feeding from 10%
in 2013 to 40% by 2025;
iv. Reduce stunting rate among under-five children from 37% in
2013 to 18% by 2025;
v. Reduce childhood wasting including Severe Acute
Malnutrition (SAM) from 18% in 2013 to 10% in 2025;
vi. Achieve and sustain universal household access to iodized salt
by 2025;
vii. Increase coverage of Zinc supplementation in diarrhoea
management from 7% in 2013 to 50% of all children needing
treatment by 2025;
viii. Increase the proportion of children who receive deworming
tablets from 13.4% in 2013 to 50% by 2025;

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 National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria

ix. Reduction in anaemia among pregnant women from 67% in

2013 to 40% in 2025;
x. Reduce prevalence of diet-related non-communicable
diseases by 25% in 2025;
xi. Increase coverage of Vitamin A supplementation from 41% in
2013 to 65% by 2025;
xii. Increase by 50% households with relevant nutrition knowledge
and practice that improve their nutritional status
xiii. Increase access to potable water from 49% in 2013 to 70% by
2025;
xiv. Increase the number of relevant MDAs at all levels with
functional nutrition unit by 75% in 2017;
xv. Reduce the incidence of malnutrition among victims of
emergencies by 50% in 2025;
xvi. Mainstream nutrition objectives into social protection and
safety net programmes of all MDAs linked to nutrition by
2020;
xvii. Achieve universal access of all school children in the pre- and
basic school classes to school-based feeding programmes by
2025; and
xviii. To arrest the emerging increase in obesity prevalence in
adolescents and adults by 2025

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CHAPTER THREE

STRATEGIES

This chapter consists of strategies aimed at achieving the policy objectives

described in the previous chapter. The strategies will employ interventions
and approaches that are nutrition-specific, nutrition-sensitive, nutrition-
enhancing agriculture and food systems as well as build an enabling
environment for sustaining this policy.

3.1 Food and Nutrition Security

3.1.1 Ensuring Food and Nutrition Security at the

National, Community, and Household Levels
The strategic framework for achieving food and nutrition security will adopt
a multi-sectoral approach to implement the national food and nutrition
strategy focusing on food security, quality, and safety, consumer education,
and food management. In addition, it will also focus on food production,
food processing, storage, trade, marketing and distribution, as well as
consumption.

3.1.2 Increasing Availability, Accessibility and

Affordability of Food
i. Encourage and support integrated farming (crops, livestock and
fisheries) as a means of increasing food diversity and income
sustainability for small-holder farmers, especially women;
ii. Promote increased production of priority-value chain crops, animal
products, fruits and vegetables across the different geopolitical
zones of the country;

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 National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria

iii. Promote urban agriculture and support urban and rural women to
adopt and set-up home gardening;
iv. Promote adoption of improved and cost-effective on-farm food-
storage technologies including use of silos, solar drying, fish
smoking kiln, etc. by small holder farmers;
v. Promote food safety through myco-toxins prevention during
production and storage;
vi. Promote biofortification of staple food crops with micronutrients as
a long-term means of micronutrient deficiency control (MNDC);
and
vii. Promote effective market information, food distribution and
transportation systems.

3.1.3 Improving Food Harvesting, Processing and

Preservation
i. Introduce and consolidate appropriate technologies for
harvesting, processing, and preservation for crops, vegetables,
fisheries and livestock;
ii. Facilitate access of small-holder farmers to technologies for
improved crop harvesting, processing, and preservation; and
iii. Strengthen the training of extension workers for adequate
dissemination of environmentally friendly agricultural
technologies.

3.1.4 Improving Food Preparation and Quality

i. Develop and promote the use of nutritionally adequate recipes
using locally available ingredients for all age groups;
ii. Promote appropriate food-preparation methods for improved
nutrition and encourage the consumption of hygienic and nutritious
foods;
iii. Promote the development and enforcement of minimum standard
for food quality and safety both for imported and locally produced
foods, including street-vended foods; and
iv. Fortify staple food during production, processing up to
consumption level.
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 National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria

3.1.5 Improving Management of Food-Security Crises

and Nutrition in Emergency
i. Strengthen existing Information Management Systems for food-
insecurity and nutritional-vulnerability;
ii. Establish a system for timely intervention and food price
stabilization during periods of food shortfalls by constituting a
national food and fodder reserve (buffer stock) as well as
community-level strategic stock/cereal banks;
iii. Identify, develop, implement and sustain programmes that would
provide safety nets to protect the most vulnerable groups from
negative effects of food crises as a result of natural disasters and
economic policies;
iv. Develop and provide comprehensive guidelines for managing
nutrition during emergencies; and
v. Facilitate effective coordination of interventions by government,
humanitarian actors and development partners during
emergencies.

3.1.6 School-based Strategies

i. Strengthen the nutrition education and training in the curricula of
early child care, primary and secondary schools;
ii. Promote school feeding programmes in all early child care and
primary schools to improve nutritional status, learning capacities
and enrollment/retention of school-age children through
community participation and public-private partnerships; and
iii. Promote and support the establishment of school gardens to
provide complementary feeding and also stimulate interest in
farming, food, and nutrition-related matters among growing
children.

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 National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria

3.2 Enhancing Caregiving Capacity

3.2.1 Ensure Optimal Nutrition in the First 1,000 Days

of Life
i. Improve nutritional care for adolescent girls and pregnant women;
ii. Promote, protect and support early initiation of breastfeeding
within thirty minutes of delivery, exclusive breastfeeding for the first
six months and the continuation of breastfeeding well into the
second year of life with the introduction of nutritionally adequate
complementary foods at six months of age;
iii. Promote a national nutrition education programme which should
target child caregivers, health workers and communities to
increase awareness of the proper care and feeding of children;
iv. Promote and sustain twice-yearly Vitamin-A supplementation for
children aged 6 to 59 months and de-worming for children aged
12 to 59 months;
v. Promote hand-washing, proper waste disposal and Community-
led Total Sanitation (CLTS);
vi. Ensure the establishments of crèches in work places having more
than ten women in public and private institutions;
vii. Provide and promote IYCF counseling and support for pregnant
and lactating women at the community and health-facility levels in
line with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency
(NPHCDA) strategies;
viii. Rigorously monitor the implementation of the national regulation
and the international code and all WHA resolutions on the
marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes (BMS); and create
accountability mechanisms for marketing of infant formulas;
ix. Promote an integrated approach for the management of Severe
Acute Malnutrition (SAM, IMAM, CMAM, SC, ITP) as a minimum
package of MNCH services; and
x. Enforce implementation of the existing regulation of maternity
leave at all levels, including public- and private-sector institutions.

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 National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria

3.2.2 Caring for the Socioeconomically Disadvantaged

and Nutritionally Vulnerable
i. Promote adequate (both quantity and quality) food intake and
adequate rest for pregnant and lactating women; and
ii. Develop and encourage the use of labor-saving technologies to
reduce the workload of women and create more time for child
care.

3.3 Enhancing Provision of Quality

Health Services

3.3.1 Reduce Morbidity and Mortality Associated with

Malnutrition

3.3.2 Preventing and Managing Nutrition-Related

Diseases
i. Increase access to and improvement of quality of health services to
provide essential maternal and child nutrition care;
ii. Ensure the full integration of essential nutrition actions (ENA) into
routine primary health care services;
iii. Create an enabling environment for the local production of Ready-
to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF)
iv. Ensure adequate supply and provision of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic
Food (RUTF) for the treatment of SAM and malnutrition among
PLWHA and vulnerable children;
v. Promote prevention and treatment of diseases associated and
linked with malnutrition; and
vi. Provide nutrition support in special cases such as preterm and
small-for-gestation babies, PLWHA, abandoned babies and
orphans, etc.

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 National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria

3.3.3 Preventing Micronutrient Deficiencies

I. Prevention of VAD by instituting short- and long-term sustainable
interventions, including bi-annual Vitamin-A supplementation to
children aged 6 to 59 months as well as promoting dietary
diversification and food fortification;
ii. Control of iron-deficiency anaemia (IDA) through:
Ÿ The provision of iron-folate supplements to pregnant
women.
Ÿ De-worming of children aged 12 to 59 months and school-
aged children every six months.
iii. Control and prevent Iodine-Deficiency Disorders (IDD) through the
enforcement of legislation on universal salt iodisation (USI) at
50mg per kg salt, and through regular monitoring of salt iodine
levels;
iv. Control and prevent Zinc-deficiency disorders;
v. Provide Zinc and low-osmolarity oral rehydration solution (LO-ORS)
to treat diarrhea;
vi. Enforce food fortification standards in regulated food products;
vii. Enhance micronutrient consumption through encouragement of the
use of micronutrient powders and lipid-based nutrient supplements
(LBNS) for food enrichment at the household level; and
viii. Promote social and behavioural change communication (SBCC) to
encourage appropriate food choices that favour consumption of
micronutrient-rich foods.

3.3.5 Protecting the Consumer through Improved Food

Quality and Safety
i. Strengthen existing institutional capacity for the effective control of
food quality and safety;
ii. Ensure enforcement of food safety regulation to guarantee food
safety and quality;
iii. Strengthen the mechanisms for detection, monitoring, and control
of chemical residues in foods; and promote appropriate and safe
utilisation of agricultural chemicals; and

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 National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria

iv. Establish standards for nutrition labeling and advertisement of all

foods, including locally prepared indigenous foods, promote
compliance and strengthen consumer education

3.4 Improving Capacity to Address Food

and Nutrition Insecurity Problems

3.4.1 Assessing, Analysing and Monitoring Nutrition

Situations
i. Establish community-based growth monitoring to promote healthy
growth, detect child growth faltering, and recommend appropriate
actions;
ii. Promote participatory approaches for communities to assess,
analyse, and take appropriate actions to address food and
nutrition problems;
iii. Undertake capacity/skills-gap analysis at all levels of those
involved in the planning and implementation of food and nutrition
programme and activities;
iv. Develop and strengthen the effective planning and managerial
capacity of federal and state government as well as local
government authorities (LGAs) to address food and nutrition
problems;
v. Institute mechanism for regular review of nutrition curricula in
tertiary institutions and vocational institutions;
vi. Ensure training and re-training of Nutritionists, Nutrition Desk
Officers and other relevant service providers to improve their
capacity for food and nutrition programme management; and
vii. Ensure adequate staffing of relevant MDAs implementing sectoral
nutrition programmes with skilled and qualified nutritionists.

3.4.2 Providing a Conducive Macro-Economic

Environment
i. Incorporate nutrition objectives into MDAs' development policies,
plans, and programmes;
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 National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria

ii. Analyse macro-economic and sectoral policies in terms of their

potential impact and consequences for household income, food
consumption, and delivery of human services, with a view for
policy modification to ameliorate adverse effects;
iii. Promote increase in social-sector spending and explore the
potential role of the private sector; and
iv. Promote productive capacity through encouraging private sector
engagement in food and nutrition related investment.

3.4.3 Social Protection Programmes for the Vulnerable

Groups
i. Promote the establishment and expansion of existing social
protection policy in all sectors with inclusion of nutrition
considerations as conditions of social protection programmes to
address poverty, malnutrition, and health of the most vulnerable
groups;
ii. Accelerate the implementation of the National Health Insurance
Scheme to incorporate the Community Health Insurance health
services to vulnerable groups, especially women and children; and
iii. Develop social protection programmes that would provide safety
nets, both short- and long-term (including distribution of food), to
protect the most vulnerable groups from negative effects of macro-
economic and sectoral policies on purchasing power, food
consumption, and the delivery of human services.

3.5 Raising Awareness and Understanding

of the Problem of Malnutrition in Nigeria

3.5.1 Promote Advocacy, Communication and Social

Mobilisation
i. Develop an advocacy and social mobilisation strategy for food
and nutrition

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 National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria

ii. Sustain advocacy to policymakers at all levels for resource

mobilisation for food and nutrition activities;
iii. Promote Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) for better
understanding of food and nutrition security problems for
improved food and nutrition practices;
iv. Promote the design and production of harmonised, appropriate
BCC materials for use and distribution at the national, state, and
LGA levels; and
v. Promote and strengthen nutrition education for all age groups
through multimedia communication approaches.

3.5.2 Promoting Healthy Lifestyles and Dietary Habits

i. Promote good dietary habits and healthy lifestyles for all age
groups through appropriate social marketing and communication
strategies;
ii. Support the design and implementation of appropriate community-
based nutrition education programmes;
iii. Develop appropriate food-based dietary guidelines for healthy
living;
iv. Promote healthy eating habits to reduce the incidence of non-
communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and other
cardiovascular disorders, etc. (reduction of salt and sugar intake,
preparation methods to reduce fat intake, etc.); and
v. Promote regular physical exercise and periodic medical checkups
for nutrition-related, non-communicable diseases.

3.5.3 Research in Nutrition

i. Promote research and development of locally available staple diets
and use of under-utilised crops for improved utilisation and
nutrition;
ii. Produce a complete food-composition table for locally available
food and agricultural produce (raw, processed, and prepared);
iii. Promote, support, and disseminate research findings on food
processing and preservation technologies for adaptation at the
village and household levels;

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 National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria

iv. Promote research on local food fortification;

v. Promote collaborative programme implementation operations
research to enhance programme outcomes; and
vi. Engage in periodic conduct of food consumption and nutrition
survey to track policy impact.

3.6 Resource allocation for food and

nutrition Security at all levels

i. Ensure adequate implementation of the policy through sufficient

budgetary allocation and timely release of funds;
ii. Strengthen the coordination capacity of the MB&NP and its state
counterparts with the required resources (human, financial, and
material) for effective management and coordination of the policy;
and
iii. Strengthen the capacity of the MB&NP to mobilise resources both
internally (federal, state, and LGA) and externally (bi- and
multilateral donors).

21
CHAPTER FOUR

INSTITUTIONAL
ARRANGEMENTS,
LEGAL FRAMEWORK
AND FINANCING

4.1 Preamble

The National Food and Nutrition Policy requires an effective institutional

arrangement to ensure a results-oriented programme implementation. Past
implementation efforts have been principally sectoral (health, agriculture,
science and technology and education etc.), uncoordinated, inadequately
funded and limited in scope and coverage.

In order to address this problem, the Government of Nigeria designated the

Ministry of Budget and National Planning (MB&NP) as the national focal
point for food and nutrition policy, programme planning, and coordination
in the country. In May 2007, the National Council on Nutrition (NCN) was
approved by the Federal Executive Council. The membership includes
Ministers from relevant MDAs, one representative from Nigeria governors
and organized private-sector and nutrition-related agencies. The NCN also
recognized the NCFN domiciled in MB&NP as the technical arm of the
NCN. The Vice President (VP) of Federal Republic of Nigeria, being the
Chairman of the MB&NP will chair the NCN.

4.2 Leadership, Structures, and Institutions

The implementation of the National Policy on Food and Nutrition is the

responsibility of the authorities at the three levels of government (i.e.,

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 National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria

Federal, State and LGAs) in collaboration with other stakeholders,

including the organised private sector, development partners, professional
bodies, civil society organisations (CSOs) (i.e., Non-Governmental
Organizations [NGOs], Faith Based Organizations [FBOs]), and
communities.

Administrative arrangements between the NCN, MB&NP, the NCFN,

Federal and State Ministries, And Local Governments will form the basis for
planning and implementation of the National Food and Nutrition Policy. In
this regard, state and local Government counterparts of the MB&NP will be
the focal points for coordination of food and nutrition programmes at state
and LGA levels and will be assisted by the State Committees on Food and
Nutrition (SCFN) and Local Government Committees on Food and
Nutrition (LGCFN).
Implementation agencies at Federal, State, and LGA levels are responsible
for the implementation of specific projects and programmes relevant to the
policy.

The focal points at Federal, State, and LGA levels will have the responsibility
of identifying and mobilising resources for executing given project or
activity in a coordinated manner and paying due emphasis to the need for
harmonisation and synergy within each body's geographic boundaries
and authority.

The government will ensure that the various organisations are fully
accountable for the resources and programme activities which are under
their responsibility to guarantee the confidence of all stakeholders and
partners involved as well as ensure correct and timely programme
implementation.

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 National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria

Institutional Structure for the Coordination of Policy Implementation

PRESIDENCY
(National Council on Nutrition)

NATIONAL COMMITTEE ON FOOD AND NUTRITION (NCFN)

(Secretariat - Ministry of Budget and National Planning)

STATE COMMITTEE ON FOOD AND NUTRITION (SCFN)

(Secretariat - State Planning Office)

LG COMMITTEE ON FOOD AND NUTRITION (LGCFN)

(Secretariat – Office of the Vice Chairman)

Ward Committee on Food and Nutrition

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 National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria

4.3 National Council on Nutrition (NCN)

The NCN shall be the highest decision-making body on food and nutrition
in Nigeria. It will serve as the policy body for all efforts geared towards
ensuring food and nutrition security for all Nigerians. The council will be
chaired by the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and will be
composed of Ministers from relevant MDAs, one representative from
Nigerian governors and representatives of organized private
sector/industry as approved by the Federal Executive Council in May
2007. The council will meet on a bi-annual basis.

4.4 Terms of Reference of the NCN

i. Identify, analyse, and ascertain the problem of nutrition in Nigeria;

ii. Identify the efforts already in place for tackling child malnutrition in
Nigeria;
iii. Review strategies and their impact on household, community, local
government, state, national, and international levels;
iv. Assess further action to be employed in dealing with malnutrition
based on regular reviews of M&E reports and periodic surveys;
v. Coordinate and harmonize efforts, strategies and programmes of
nutrition; and
vi. Ensure adequate resource mobilization and allocation to address
nutrition issues.

4.5 The Membership of the NCN

i. The Vice President, Chairman

ii. Hon Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development
iii. Hon Minster of Health
iv. Hon Minister of Education
v. Hon Minister of Information
vi. Hon Minister of Communications
vii. Hon Minister of Youth Development
viii. Hon Minister for Budget and National Planning
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 National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria

ix. Hon Minister for Women Affairs and Social Development

x. Hon Minister of Finance
xi. Hon Minister for Science and Technology
xii. Hon. Minister of Water Resources
xiii. Director General National Institute of Medical Research
xiv. Executive Director National Primary Health Care Development
Agency
xv. Director General Standards Organisation of Nigeria
xvi. Director General National Agency for Food & Drug
Administration & Control (NAFDAC)
xvii. President, Paediatric Association of Nigeria
xviii. President, Nutrition Society of Nigeria
xix. Representatives from food industry (2)
xx. Country Representative, UNICEF
xxi. Country Representative, WHO
xxii. Country Representative, FAO
xxiii. Chairman, Governors Forum
xxiv. Nigerian member of Council of International Paediatic
Association
xxv. Nigerian member of Council of Federation of African Nutrition
Societies
xxvi. Chairman, Presidential Project Implementation Committee
xxvii. Ministry of Budget and National Planning – Secretariat

4.6 Ministry of Budget and National

Planning (MB&NP)

The MB&NP will serve as the national focal point for food and nutrition
policy programme planning and coordination in the country. The MB&NP
will also serve as the secretariat for both the NCFN and NCN and shall
coordinate with the state Secretariats and have regular fora for interactions.
The MB&NP have at least one qualified and experienced nutritionist (not
less than a Deputy Director) as administrative head of the division or
department that will house the NCFN secretariat. In addition, two planning
officers and at least one M&E person should constitute the technical team in

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 National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria

the division or department. Opportunities should be created for nutritionists

to come on board as interns to complement the staff in the department.

The MB&NP shall convene meetings of the NCFN and produce annual
reports on progress made in food and nutrition. The Permanent Secretary of
the Ministry will serve as chairman of NCFN or a designated officer not
below the rank of a director. In addition, a nutrition partners forum, national
working groups, and sub-committees on food and nutrition shall be
established and meet regularly (at least quarterly).

4.7 Mandates of the MB&NP

The mandate of the MB&NP is:

i. To provide day-to-day support that will enhance the effectiveness of
NCN;
ii. To serve as the focal point for the coordination and harmonization
of all food- and nutrition-related policies and programmes being
implemented by various ministries and agencies into a national
programme consistent with the goals and aspirations outlined in
this policy document;
iii. To provide a forum for exchange of views and experiences among
the bodies implementing nutrition programmes in Nigeria and,
thereby foster and strengthen their respective roles in the
programme;
iv. To coordinate the review, on a continuous basis, of policies and
programmes with regard to their potential impact on food and
nutrition issues;
v. To ensure effective implementation of the different policies and
programmes by putting in place effective machinery for M&E;
vi. To maintain ongoing advocacy for food and nutrition issues;
vii. To ensure adequate financial provisions and timely release of
allocated funds in the National Development Plan and annual
budget;
viii. To liaise with international donor agencies, financial institutions,
the private sector, community-based organizations (CBOs) and

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 National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria

NGOs when soliciting funds and material support to complement

government resources and efforts; and ensure that development
partners incorporate nutritional considerations into their
development strategies across all sectors, especially food security,
maternal and child health, social protection, education, agricultural
research, and gender-based programmes; and
ix. To coordinate the analysis and dissemination of results of important
food and nutrition studies, statistics, and data.

4.8 National Committee on Food and

Nutrition (NCFN)

In order to achieve the National Food and Nutrition Policy objectives and
implement its programmes, a NCFN has been established, located in the
MB&NP to assist the MB&NP to assess and enhance the various policies on
food and nutrition and to plan national programmes on food and nutrition
matters.
Membership of the committee is drawn from relevant ministries,
departments, and agencies of government as well as representatives of
universities dealing with issues of food and nutrition.

4.9 Mandate of the NCFN

The NCFN has a mandate of:
i. Providing necessary technical and professional assistance and
support to the secretariat (MB&NP) on food and nutrition policy
planning and implementation;
ii. Proposing and reviewing, on a continuous basis, policies and
programmes that have a potential impact on food and nutrition
issues;
iii. Ensuring that the representatives of relevant sectors on the
committee undertake effective implementation of their various
policies and programmes;
iv. Advising on the formulation of appropriate strategies for policy and
programme M&E;

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 National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria

v. Supporting the MB&NP in the maintenance of ongoing advocacy

for food and nutrition issues; and
vi. Assisting the MB&NP to set up and manage a database of nutrition
activities.

4.10 The NCFN Secretariat

The NCFN shall have a secretariat established in the MB&NP which shall
be a division within the ministry responsible to the chair of the NCFN in the
implementation of the decisions of the NCFN as well as the day-to-day
operations of the national food and nutrition programme. The division shall
be fully staffed with the requisite human and material resources with the
required mix of staff and competencies in nutrition, food, and M&E. In
addition, the secretariat will be responsible for:
i. Servicing all statutory NCFN meetings;
ii. Establishing appropriate linkages with other departments within
the MB&NP, and
iii. Undertaking any other duties as may be assigned by the MB&NP
towards effective implementation of this policy.

4.11 State Committee on Food and Nutrition

(SCFN)

In order to achieve the National Food and Nutrition Policy objectives and
implement its programmes, a SCFN shall be established and located in the
State Planning Ministry (or equivalent in the state). Membership of the
committee will be drawn from relevant Ministries, Departments and
Agencies of government as well as representatives of tertiary institutions
dealing with issues of food and nutrition.

4.12 Mandate of the SCFN

The SCFN has a mandate of:
i. Providing necessary technical and professional assistance and

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 National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria

support to the Secretariat (State Planning Ministry or its equivalent

in the State) on food and nutrition planning and programme
implementation;
ii. Ensure adequate financial provision and timely release of allocated
funds in state development plans
iii. Proposing and reviewing, on a continuous basis, programmes that
have a potential impact on food and nutrition issues;
iv. Ensuring that the representatives of relevant sectors on the
committee undertake effective implementation of their various
policies and programmes;
v. Advising on the formulation of appropriate strategies for
programme M&E;
vi. Supporting the State Planning Ministry (or equivalent in the state) in
the maintenance of ongoing advocacy for food and nutrition
issues; and
vii. Assisting the State Planning Ministry (or equivalent in the state) to
set up and manage a database of nutrition activities.

4.13 The SCFN Secretariat

The SCFN shall have a secretariat established in the State Planning Ministry
(or equivalent in the state) which shall be a division within the Ministry
responsible to the chair of the SCFN in the implementation of the decisions
of the SCFN as well as the day-to-day operations of the state food and
nutrition programme. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry or its
equivalent will head the SCFN whilst the state nutrition officer will serve as
the secretary. The division shall be fully staffed with the requisite human and
material resources with the required mix of staff and competencies in
nutrition, food, and M&E. In addition, the secretariat will be responsible for:
i. Servicing all statutory SCFN meetings;
ii. Establishing appropriate linkages with other departments within
the Planning Ministry (or equivalent in the state); and
iii. Undertaking any other duties as may be assigned by the Planning
Ministry (or equivalent in the state) towards effective
implementation of this policy.

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 National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria

4.14 Local Government Committee on Food

and Nutrition (LGCFN)

In order to achieve the National Food and Nutrition Policy objectives and
implement its programmes, a LGCFN shall be established and located in
the Office of the LGA Vice Chairman. Membership of the committee will be
drawn from relevant Departments and Agencies of government as well as
representatives of CSOs dealing with issues of food and nutrition.

4.15 Mandate of the LGCFN

The LGCFN has a mandate of:

i. Providing necessary technical and professional assistance and
support to the secretariat (Office of the LGA Vice Chairman) on food
and nutrition programme implementation;
ii. Ensure adequate financial provision and timely release of allocated
funds in state development plans
iii. Proposing and reviewing, on a continuous basis, programmes that
have a potential impact on food and nutrition issues;
iv. Ensuring that the representatives of relevant sectors on the
committee undertake effective implementation of their various
policies and programmes;
v. Implementing appropriate strategies for programme M&E;
vi. Supporting the Office of LGA Vice Chairman in the maintenance of
ongoing advocacy for food and nutrition issues;
vii. Managing and maintaining database of nutrition activities; and
viii. Coordinating nutrition programme implementation at the LGA
level.

4.16 The LGCFN Secretariat

The LGCFN shall have a secretariat established in the Office of the LGA Vice
Chairman who shall serve as chair of the LGCFN, and the LGA nutrition

31
 National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria

focal person shall serve as the Secretary. The Secretariat will be responsible
for:
i. Servicing all statutory LGCFN meetings;
ii. Establishing appropriate linkages with other departments within
the LGA; and
iii. Undertaking any other duties as may be assigned by the Office of
the LGA Vice Chairman towards effective nutrition programme
implementation.

4.17 Roles of Professional Bodies and

Development Partners

4.17.1 Professional Bodies, CBOs, CSOs, FBOs and

NGOs
To ensure proper coordination of activities and to avoid duplication of
efforts, the coordinating agencies at Federal, State and Local Government
levels will work closely with relevant professional bodies (including
Nutrition Society of Nigeria, Dietetic Association of Nigeria, and Nigeria
Institute for Food Science and Technology), NGOs, CBOs, CSOs, FBOs
and local communities in pursuit of the National Food and Nutrition Policy
objectives.

This partnership could benefit the policy implementation through:

i. Resource mobilisation;
ii. Project implementation;
iii. Community mobilisation, participation, and ownership at the
grassroots level as well as sustainability.

4.17.2 Private Sector

Apart from providing funds to accelerate growth in food supplies and to
manufacture essential drugs, plant machinery, and equipment, the private
sector is expected to support the food and nutrition programme effort of the
government by collaborating in specific areas, including:

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 National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria

i. Fortification of certain identified foods with mandatory micro-

nutrients such as Vitamin A, B Vitamins, Zinc and Iron;
ii. Development of low-cost nutritious complementary foods and
RUTF;
iii. Promotion of nutrition education that complies with quality-control
standards;
iv. Participation and support of knowledge-sharing on research
findings; and
v. Adoption and transformation of research findings into
commercially viable products.

In addition, the private sector would be fully involved and participate in the
policy formulation/review as well as programme M&E.

4.17.3 Development Partners

Government and development partners (bilateral and multilateral
agencies) have always worked closely together on food and nutrition issues
in the areas of programme design, training and capacity-building,
research and implementation of pilot, regional and national programmes.
The government will continue to appreciate the assistance provided by
donor agencies in the execution of the National Food and Nutrition Policy.

This partnership has the following benefits:

i. Resources mobilisation in the forms of grants and loans;
ii. Providing best practices to be used in refining and re-designing
existing programmes, and introducing new ones; and
iii. Full participation in programme implementation and review as well
as M&E.

4.18 Resource Mobilisation

Government shall regularly ensure mobilisation and timely release of

resources required from budgetary allocations to fully implement the policy
on food and nutrition security at all levels.

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 National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria

These internal resources will be complemented, as required, by external

grants, loans and contributions by aforementioned organisations, and the
private sector. The communities will also be expected to contribute in cash
or kind as appropriate.

4.19 Sustainability and Programme Scale

Up

4.19.1 National Nutrition Network (NNN)

The NNN is a platform for NCFN and SCFN to meet annually to share
experiences and deliberate on annual progress, achievement, and
challenges as well as chart a way forward for subsequent years. The
MB&NP, through the NCFN, will organise this NNN meeting with
representation from the Federal and State levels, development partners and
other relevant stakeholders.

4.19.2 Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement

This is domiciled in the FMOH and focused on promoting the
implementation of evidenced-based nutrition interventions and scaling up
successful practices, as well as integrating nutrition goals into broader
efforts in critical sectors such as public health, education, social protection,
food and agriculture

4.19.3 Working Groups and Sub Committees

Working groups shall also be established to aid the operational efficiency
and effectiveness of the NCFN, such as the MNDC Advisory Committee,
National Fortification Alliance (NFA), IYCF Working Group, National
Technical Committee on the Implementation of International Code of
Marketing of BMS, Universal Salt Iodisation Task Force (USI-TF),
Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) Task Force etc.,
with appropriate chair from relevant MDAs with comparative advantages.

34
CHAPTER FIVE

5.1 Monitoring and Evaluation

For successful implementation of the Food and Nutrition Policy, an effective

M&E system will be established. The purpose of the M&E system will be to
provide accurate, reliable, and timely information on the progress of
implementation and regular reporting on the specific objectives listed in
Chapter Two. This will entail intensive process of thorough assessment of
existing problems, analysis of their causes and assessment of resources
required to improve the nutrition situation. The information generated will
be useful for future planning exercises, as well as for M&E of the success of
government's efforts in addressing the problem of malnutrition in Nigeria.

The core component of this M&E strategy will be an appropriate food and
nutrition information monitoring system. The purpose of this type of
information system will be to monitor food and nutrition situations in the
country at regular intervals, and to answer the questions 'who are the
malnourished?', 'where are they located?',' when and why are they
malnourished?'. A better socioeconomic description of the groups most at
risk and trend analysis is essential in order to refine policies and
programmes as well as timeliness of interventions that are aimed at
different target groups in terms of their vulnerability.

5.2 Food and Nutrition Information System

The food and nutrition information system will rely on administrative

reporting systems that already exist in certain ministries, routine data
collected from all the relevant sectors as well as community-level food and

35
 National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria

nutrition information, including data from child growth monitoring and

promotion programmes. Sample surveys will also be considered as well as
Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA) techniques as a possible means of obtaining
information quickly. Information generated will be used to assess the food
and nutrition situation as well as inform programmatic changes and
amendments by programme managers to bring about improvement.

5.3 M&E System

To monitor and evaluate the nutritional impact of the National Food and
Nutrition Policy and its consequent programmes, a number of known core
indicators will be considered to assess whether the targets and goals are
being reached. The M&E system will use the information generated through
the food and nutrition information system in addition to scheduled NDHS,
MICS, and SMART surveys to inform decision-makers on the result achieved
and the impact.

To achieve this, a database shall be created to keep accurate and relevant

information through vertical and horizontal collation of data from the LGAs,
state, and federal levels so that progress and changes are tracked and
impact measured. The system shall use a simple M&E approach with the
primary aim to enable planners at each level to collect data that shall assist
them in the ongoing planning and implementation of food and nutrition
programmes and activities. A feedback mechanism shall be introduced to
enable “downwards” sharing of data through regular communication
about the progress of food and nutrition programme and activities at
national, state, and LGA levels. The main M&E activities will include:
i. Monitoring of achievements and results component;
ii. Evaluation/impact assessment component;
iii. Implementation and Result Progress Report.

5.3.1 Objectives of the M&E

i. Measure the progress, achievements, and performance through
the strategy results framework and a set of specific indicators on
food and nutrition;
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 National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria

ii. Provide policymakers and different stakeholders with relevant

qualitative and quantitative information to enable them to:
a. Undertake the strategy performance assessment so as to
make corrections for a satisfactory implementation and
capitalisation on best practices;
b. Draw conclusions about the effectiveness of the
achievements;
c. Increase skills in the area of quality assurance in food and
nutrition strategy implementation, and use appropriate
information for policy adjustment; and
d. Provide data to all stakeholders for communication with a
view to creating a transparent information environment (on
financial flows, inputs, results, and performance).

5.3.2 Techniques and Tools for Data Collection and

Analysis
The main focus of the M&E system shall be to collect accurate, reliable and
timely data on the food and nutrition programme results at prescribed
intervals using appropriate tools. This will include routine data from health
facilities and other relevant institutions as well as population-based data.

5.3.3 Procedures for M&E - Roles and Responsibilities

of different Actors

5.3.4 The Ministry of Budget and National Planning

The MB&NP will have responsibility for overall M&E. The NCFN Secretariat
in collaboration with the M&E office of the MB&NP will have responsibility
for the following:
i. Providing overall coordination of the food and nutrition M&E
system;
ii. Sourcing and collating M&E data from relevant ministries,
departments and agencies in federal, state, and LGAs for
incorporation into the national M&E database;

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 National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria

iii. Working with the M&E departments of state and relevant MDAs to
ensure timely submission and quality of data;
iv. Preparing yearly reports on progress of implementation and
achievement of objectives as stated in the policy;
v. Identifying gaps and recommending necessary adjustments in
programme implementation;
vi. Preparing and submitting country reports on food and nutrition
situations at intervals as contained in the performance
management plan;
vii. Engaging the National Bureau of Statistics on administration of
surveys and the collection of data at specified intervals and period
to document achievements of results;
viii. Facilitating capacity-building for M&E officers and personnel; and
ix. Providing data quality assurance

5.3.5 Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies

In each of the Ministries, the Department of Planning, Research and
Statistics will be responsible for the collation and management of M&E
data and also the following:
i. Ensuring data quality and compliance with established
specification;
ii. Submitting timely data and M&E report to the national M&E
system;
iii. Validating the accuracy of data before submission to national M&E
system.

5.3.6 State Ministries, Departments and Agencies

In each state, the Planning Office has a statutory role similar to the MB&NP
at the Federal level and will be responsible for the coordination of the
overall M&E system at the state level. It is expected to be linked to the
Planning, Research and Statistics department of the relevant State
Ministries, Departments and Agencies for data collection, collation, and
submission to the national M&E office.

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GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Adequate Diet: Food consumed that contains all the nutrients (calories,
protein, fats, vitamins and minerals) in amounts and proportions required to
promote growth and good health in an individual.

At-Risk Groups: Persons or segment of the population most likely to

suffer from nutritional deprivation.

Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative: A hospital-based programme that

seeks to promote good breastfeeding practices by mothers (i.e. Exclusive
Breastfeeding for the first six months of life).

Complementary Foods: Foods, in addition to breast milk, given to

infants after six months of age.

Food: A composite of nutrients (protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and

minerals) consumed, digested and ultimately utilised to meet the body's
needs.

Food Security: Access by all people at all times to enough food all the
year round for an active, healthy life.

Food Insecurity: When a household is unable to provide adequate food

for its members on a sustainable basis either due to inability to produce its
own food or through food purchases.

Growth Monitoring and Promotion: A process which involves

regular weighing of a child, plotting the weight on a growth chart, using the

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information obtained to assess how the child is growing, and then taking
appropriate actions to improve or promote the health and growth of the
child.

Household Food Security: The ability of a household to gain access to

adequate food (both in quantity and quality) to meet its nutritional
requirements for an active life throughout the year.

Intra-Uterine Growth Retardation: Gradual decline in the

development of a fetus due to maternal factors such as illness or
malnutrition.

Iodine-Deficiency Disorders: The spectrum of disorders resulting from

inadequate iodine intake, including mental retardation, reduced growth,
spontaneous abortions, still-births and physical disabilities.

Iron-Deficiency Anaemia: Reduced haemoglobin and oxygen-

carrying capacity of the blood due to inadequate iron intake and/or high
iron losses (e.g., blood loss), characterised by fatigue, decreased capacity
to work, learning disorders, and increased complications of pregnancy.

Macronutrients: Carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, comprising the

major components of most foods that supply energy and amino acids for
proper growth and development.

Malnutrition: The impairment of health due to a deficiency, excess, or

imbalance of nutrients. It includes undernutrition, which refers to a
deficiency of calories and other nutrients and overnutrition, which refers to
excess of calories and nutrients (but usually of calories).

Micronutrients: These are the vitamins and minerals present in foods

and required by the body in very small quantities for proper functioning.

Night Blindness: An inability to see in the dark, due to a deficiency of

Vitamin A resulting from inadequate Vitamin-A intake in the diet.

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Nutrition: The end result of various processes in society (e.g., social,

economic, cultural, psychological, agricultural, and health) which
culminate in food being eaten by an individual and subsequently absorbed
and utilised by the body for physiological processes.

Nutritional Surveillance: The process of keeping watch over the

nutritional situation of a community or a population and the factors that
affect it, in order to take appropriate actions that will forestall problems or
lead to improvement in nutrition.

Nutritive Value: The amounts of a given nutrient in a food item that will
be potentially available for use by the body.

Prenatal Mortality: Death of babies before birth.

Prevalence Rate: The percentage of individuals in a sample or

population who are affected by a certain disorder or condition.

Provitamin A: A substance (beta carotene) found in plants that can be

converted by the body to Vitamin A.

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