The Kwara State Government on Friday in Ilorin urged development partners to adopt a coordinated, multi-sectoral approach to nutrition programmes across the state.
The call was made by the Executive Secretary of the Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Prof. Nusirat Elelu, during the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) Sustainability Meeting with key Local Government Area (LGA) stakeholders.
Elelu highlighted the pivotal role of adequate nutrition in the growth, development, and overall well-being of children. She stressed that good nutrition is fundamental to building a healthy and productive society, noting that the future of Kwara State is closely tied to the health and nutritional status of its children.
She reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving nutrition outcomes and strengthening primary healthcare delivery at the grassroots level. According to her, the meeting provided a strategic platform for stakeholders to review progress, address challenges, and explore sustainable pathways for advancing nutrition interventions.
The intervention targets improvements in maternal, infant, and child health outcomes across all 16 LGAs of the state. Elelu called for a coordinated, multi-sectoral approach to nutrition programming to ensure that no child is left behind. She also highlighted the importance of exclusive breastfeeding, describing breast milk as the most complete and natural source of nutrition for newborns, providing essential nutrients, boosting immunity, and protecting infants from preventable illnesses.
Speaking at the event, the Director of Primary Health Care Systems, Dr Michael Oguntoye, stressed the role of advocacy, strategic engagement, and effective coordination in mobilizing resources to support nutrition programmes.
“The Nutrition Champions can play a critical role in influencing budgetary allocations and attracting partner support. They can also ensure that available resources are efficiently utilized to deliver measurable nutrition outcomes at the grassroots,” he said.
In a keynote lecture, Prof. Adenike Jimoh from the College of Medicine, Bingham University, Jos, described the first 1,000 days of a child’s life as crucial. She said this period is the most critical for physical growth, brain development, and long-term health outcomes.
Jimoh emphasized that nutrition during pregnancy and the first two years of life has lasting implications on learning capacity, productivity, and overall quality of life.
