C’RIVER STATE/UNICEF: LAUNCHES STATE POLICY ON FOOD, NUTRITION & STRATEGY PLAN OF ACTION

NaijablaseTv ( Ettah Emmanuel O.)

The official launch and dissemination of the Cross River State Food, Nutrition, and Strategic Plan of Action marks a significant milestone in the state's ongoing efforts to combat the intricate challenges of food and nutrition insecurity. This crucial event, attended by esteemed dignitaries including the Deputy Governor, His Excellency Dr. Peter Odey, attests to the government's steadfast dedication to ad¬dress these pressing issues and improve the well-being of its citizens.

In line with the ambitious target set for 2027, Cross River State has allocated a substantial sum of N100 million to augment food and nutrition interventions. Governor Prince Bassey  Otu,  in conjunction with Vice Chairman Dr. Bong Duke, underscored the pivotal role of the State Planning Commission in coordinating the effective implementation of the newly introduced policies.

Dr. Olusoji Akinleye, expressing gratitude to development partners and notably acknowledging UNICEF's backing, shed light on the alarming statistics concerning acute malnutrition among children under five, a critical concern that significantly impacts child mortality rates. Nevertheless, with the advent of the new policies, an optimistic outlook prevails, offering a comprehensive framework to elevate nutritional standards across vulnerable demographic groups by the year 2025, in alignment with Governor Otu’s  vision of fostering a healthier Cross River State by 2027.

Vice Chairman/CEO of the State Planning Commission, Dr. Bong Duke, articulated the multi-sectoral approach adopted to combat malnutrition, involving key agencies in executing nutrition-specific and -sensitive programs. The emphasis on enhancing nutritional standards across all age groups, particularly focusing on vulnerable demographics such as young children, adolescents, women of reproductive age, and the elderly, exemplifies a comprehensive and inclusive strategy aimed at enhancing overall health and well-being throughout the state.

The Cross River State Food and Nutrition Policy (CRSFNP) serves as a guiding light, offering a comprehensive framework for addressing food and nutrition insecurity at various levels, including individual, household, and community levels. By providing strategic direction, the CRSFNP facilitates the identification, design, and implementation of targeted interventions within varied sectors.

Realizing the multifaceted nature of nutrition challenges, the CRSFNP adopts a holistic approach, recognizing the interplay between different sectors such as health, agriculture, science, technology, education, trade, economy, and industry. This multidisciplinary perspective underscores the policy's efficacy in fostering collaboration and synergy among stakeholders to maximize impact and sustainability.

The socioeconomic landscape of Cross River State underscores the urgency.

Furthermore, On Mrs Ngozi Onuora’s Briefings, According to the Oxford poverty and human development initiative ( OPHI) country briefing reports, June 2017, 33.1 of the population in Cross River State are income poor and live below the poverty threshold. According to Human development report, 2018, Cross River state has a multidimensional poverty index of 0.159753, with incidence of poverty of 41.4%, intensity of deprivation of 38.6% and a Gini coefficient of 30.68% ( poverty and inequality in Nigeria, 2019. ). The state has an unemployment rate of 25.9% and 20.4% of the active Labour group of age 15-64 years are unemployed. (NBS, Labour force statistics, 2018). The gross domestic product (GDP) is USD 5,974,061,170,97, with a GDP per capita of USD 1,545,17. About half ( 41.6%) of children aged 0 to 17 years are multidimensionalst poor in the state, facing at least three deprivation simultaneously, compared to 53,9 per cent nationally. On average, the multi dimensionality poor children experience a lack in 64.6per cent of the total number of the deprivations compared to 68.8% nationally.

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