The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, says that Nigeria has the third highest record of wasted children in the world, with malnutrition being responsible for the deaths of many of them before the age of 5 and a high percentage of its women of reproductive age also suffering from anaemia.
This was contained in a statement issued by Grace Njoku, Head, Information and Public Relations of the Ministry of Women Affairs in Abuja.
The statement reads in part: “Optimal nutrition is not just a health imperative but a basic human right as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to which Nigeria is a signatory.
“The consequences of malnutrition, including cognitive impairments, reduced productivity and chronic illnesses, can result in significant Gross Domestic Product (GDP) losses of 2.3% annually, translating into substantial economic burdens.”
Kennedy-Ohanenye explained that it is in recognition of this fact, that the ministry, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the present administration, commenced its sustainable empowerment programmes to equip women and girls as key drivers in the malnutrition ecosystem on skill acquisition and entrepreneurship so as to enable them to earn and cater adequately for the food needs of their families, among others.
“The country has the third highest record of wasted children in the world, with malnutrition being responsible for deaths of many of them before the age of 5 and a high percentage of its women of reproductive age also suffering from anaemia”
She explained that her ministry’s interventions extend beyond nutrition to encompass comprehensive empowerment strategies. We have developed and disseminated the National Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) Policy and Action Plan, procured and distributed empowerment materials, provided agricultural training and renovated skill acquisition centres to equip women with the tools they need to thrive.
While urging participants at the launch to make full use of the Guidelines to ensure optimal nutrition for women and girls in the country, she thanked donor agencies, development partners and other relevant Stakeholders for their contributions towards the production of the Manual, adding that the Ministry remains committed to ensuring the realization of the policies, programmes and objectives of government in line with its mandate.
In his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Gabriel Aduda, stated that the launch of the guideline marks a critical milestone for the integration of women and girls’ concerns for optimal nutrition which were not adequately covered by other existing policies.
Represented by the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics Tony Iwere, he expressed the ministry’s discomfort over the high rate of malnutrition of women and children in Nigeria as reflected in the statistics on stunting, wasting, anaemia and micronutrient deficiency among others, noting that the booklet tallies with the on-going efforts of achieving food security, gender-sensitive society as well as inclusivity in national economic growth and development.
“The ministry is committed to building a just society in which women, girls and other vulnerable groups will enjoy the same opportunities, rights and obligations in all spheres of life, devoid of discrimination; where their needs and concerns are mainstreamed equitably into all sectors of national development,” he added.
Speaking on the nutrition situation in Nigeria, the Nutrition Focal Officer, Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Chito Nelson, explained that stunting is an indicator of chronic malnutrition and disclosed that 149 million children under age 5 are stunted across the world, with 95 per cent of them coming from Asia and Africa.
While disclosing that under-nutrition leads to early death, she stressed the need for intentional empowerment of Nigerian women and girls to enable them to gain power over their finances as this will go a long way towards promoting optimal nutrition as well as human capital development for the country.