The Ekiti Government has inaugurated Local Government Committees on Food and Nutrition (LGCFN) in all 16 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state to strengthen the fight against malnutrition and improve food security at the grassroots.

The committees were inaugurated in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) at Lady Jibowu Hall, Government House Grounds, Ado-Ekiti.

The State Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Mr Femi Ajayi, described the initiative as a renewed commitment to protecting citizens’ health, strengthening human capital and building a more productive future for the state.

Ajayi commended UNICEF for its partnership and technical support, and praised the State Committee on Food and Nutrition for its leadership.

He said nutrition should be treated as a key economic development priority rather than merely a social-sector intervention.

The commissioner charged the committees to establish functional linkages with primary healthcare facilities, schools, agricultural extension services, water and sanitation agencies, and traditional institutions.

He also called for nutrition-sensitive budgeting, improved data collection and measurable performance to ensure that interventions deliver tangible results.

In his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning and Chairman of the Ekiti State Committee on Food and Nutrition, Mr Sola Akinluyi, said the committees were part of efforts to strengthen the institutional framework for better food and nutrition outcomes.

Akinluyi said the initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s N-774 initiative, which seeks to promote food security and combat malnutrition across Nigeria’s 774 LGAs, in furtherance of Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger).

He recalled that the five-pillar N-774 initiative was launched on Feb. 20, 2025, by Vice-President and Chairman of the National Council on Nutrition, Sen. Kashim Shettima, in partnership with the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON).

The Permanent Secretary added that the state was also partnering with UNICEF to implement the UNICEF 1:1 Nutrition Match Fund, which targets childhood stunting, wasting and micronutrient deficiencies.

Akinluyi commended Gov. Biodun Oyebanji for supporting nutrition programmes, particularly his commitment to the Match Fund.

The Chairman of ALGON, Ekiti Chapter, Chief Ojo Oluwasegun, pledged the commitment of the 16 local government chairmen to the initiative’s success.

He said the chairmen would head the committees at the LGA level, and promised regular meetings, practical work plans, community mobilisation and effective programme implementation.

Inaugurating the committees, the Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Mr Folorunso Olabode, charged members to be functional, proactive and results-oriented.

He urged them to translate state policies into effective local interventions that would improve maternal and child nutrition, strengthen economic resilience and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Olabode called for the involvement of traditional rulers, religious leaders, women’s groups and community development associations, particularly in reaching children under five, pregnant women, nursing mothers and food-insecure households.

The Commissioner also urged members to uphold collaboration, transparency and accountability.

Workshop on 2027 nutrition plan

In a related development, the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning organised a two-day state-level workshop on developing the 2027 Nutrition Annual Operational Plan (AOP), alongside a preparatory meeting for the 2027 nutrition budget.

Supported by UNICEF, the workshop brought together officials from relevant ministries, departments, agencies and parastatals involved in food and nutrition interventions.

Declaring it open, Akinluyi said it was designed to strengthen multi-sectoral planning and ensure that nutrition priorities were adequately reflected in the 2027 budget.

He said effective planning, predictable financing and measurable performance were essential to sustaining nutrition programmes and turning government investments into better outcomes, particularly for children, pregnant women and other vulnerable groups.

The permanent secretary urged participants to align their sectoral plans with the Ekiti State Multi-sectoral Nutrition Strategic Plan of Action and to develop realistic, costed operational plans.

Participants received presentations on the conceptual framework of malnutrition, including its causes, forms and consequences, and on tackling it through nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions. Other sessions focused on the state’s Strategic Plan of Action and the 2027 Nutrition Sectoral Annual Operational Plan.

The sessions were facilitated by UNICEF Nutrition Specialist, Mr Oyeniyi Oyedokun, who urged Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to prioritise high-impact interventions capable of accelerating the reduction of stunting, wasting and micronutrient deficiencies.

Oyedokun also stressed the need for effective coordination among sectors.

Responding on behalf of the participants, Mrs Taiwo Aina thanked the organisers, describing the training as timely and impactful.

Aina pledged that participants would apply the knowledge gained to strengthen nutrition interventions and help reduce malnutrition in the state.