Nutrition Int’l, Reps, NILDS sign MOU to promote, sustain nutrition progress

By Ochiaka Ugwu

Nutrition International, House of Representatives Committee on Nutrition and Food Security/National Legislative Network on Nutrition and Food Security, and the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) have entered a new partnership to promote and sustain the gains made in promoting nutrition in Nigeria.

The partnership was focused on going beyond short-term response to building institutions strong enough to sustain progress and enable partners and other key stakeholders to move beyond programme implementation towards strengthening the governance architecture that will sustain long-term nutrition investments.

Speaking during the signing ceremony Wednesday at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, Chairman of Nigerian House of Representatives Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, Hon. Chike John Okafor said the partnership was to formalize some of its collaboration with Nutrition International to institutionalize capacity development not only in National Assembly but across 36 States Houses of Assembly.

Going back memory lane, Okafor narrated how the Committee on inauguration reached out to critical stakeholders with Nutrition International showing solidarity and commitment.

According to Okafor, “We understand the need for conversation on how to improve on our nutrition and the to make food available and affordable. Realizing the need to take the conversation to the grassroots, we had a retreat in Owerri with partners including Nutrition International. We understand the need to engage the sub nationals. The meeting in Owerri set the tune for National Legislative Network on Nutrition and Food Security.

“The MOU is part of formalizing some of our collaboration with Nutrition International to institutionalize capacity development not only in the National Assembly but across 36 State Houses of Assembly” he said.

Okafor commended Nutrition International for engaging and directly involving NILDS which he said was a research organ of National Assembly that basically provides capacity building, policy analysis and post graduate education to strengthen democratic institutions and legislative process.

He described Nutrition International’s decision to collaborate with NILDS as a welcome development and strategic, saying they won’t need to go far in getting research materials to work with sub nationals.

Okafor informed that nutrition and food security challenges need continued legislative support beyond the tenure of the present administration and the reason why he involves secretariat staff in all the Committee’s dealings to enable institutionalization of all outcomes and processes to ensure continuity.

Also speaking, Director General of National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Prof. Abubakar Olariwaju Suleiman said the partnership was timely and deserving given the rate Nigerians need nutritional balance.

Sulieman represented by Director of Legal Services and Legal Adviser of NILDS, Dr. Shuaibu Dawanka said that food provision and nutrition generally was constitutional based on the provision of Chapter two of 1999 constitution under the fundamental objectives and directive principles of State Policy which deals with the welfare of the people.

He noted that due to strategic role of National Assembly as federal law-making body, Nutritional International carefully selected the committee for this important engagement.

Suleiman further stated that Nutritional International knowing that it can realize its aspirations of providing necessary interventions to support the federal government initiative of ensuring food for Nigerians deemed it fit to partner with NILDS to achieve the objective.

He assured that as a research institute, NILDS will support the implementation of the MOU through research services by identifying the critical challenges of Nigeria nutrition, gaps which the National Assembly’s attention needs to be drawn to ensure realization of food provision for all Nigerians.

Suleiman said the institute will conduct research, identify things in other jurisdiction within the subregion, African Parliament and avail the outcome to Nutrition International that will be used to guide, facilitate the implementation of the MOU.

Speaking earlier, Country Director of Nutrition International, Dr Osita Okonkwo who thanked House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security and NILDS for their vision and commitment to the partnership that moves beyond short-term response and builds institutions strong enough to sustain progress for generations commended the support of the Government of Canada, provided through Global Affairs Canada. Canada’s investment saying it has done more than fund programmes.

Okonkwo stated the Canada funds has helped build the institutions, systems and national capacities Nigeria needs to sustain nutrition progress long after individual projects end, saying the partnership was a clear demonstration of that vision.

He said the Canadian government support has served as an important catalyst for the development of the collaboration, informing that it has enabled Nutrition International to work closely with the National Assembly, NILDS and other key stakeholders to move beyond programme implementation towards strengthening the governance architecture that will sustain nutrition investments for many years to come.

He noted that nations that invest in nutrition were investing in their future, stronger economies, healthier populations, better educational outcomes and more resilient societies.