Wike pledges increased nutrition funding for FCT in 2025 budget
FCT Minister Nyesom Wike
Published By: Oluwapelumi Oluwayemi
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike has pledged to boost funding for nutrition intervention programs in the upcoming 2025 budget during a meeting with representatives from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on Tuesday.
Wike praised JICA’s Capacity Development for Nutrition Improvement Project (CADNIP) and its efforts to combat open defecation in the FCT, labeling these initiatives as great successes.
He emphasized that enhanced nutrition is vital for achieving broader goals in health, education, and agriculture.
“To sustain these achievements, we will improve budgetary allocations for nutrition interventions in 2025, ensuring that transparency and accountability govern the utilization of these funds,” Wike stated. “Increasing funding will significantly enhance service delivery across key sectors.”
The Minister also called for JICA’s continued support in education, specifically to enhance the teaching of mathematics and science in public schools within the FCT.
Ubokutom Nyah, Mandate Secretary for Economic Planning, Revenue Generation, and Public-Private Partnerships, revealed that Wike had approved the establishment of a Nutrition Department within the FCT Administration.
This department will serve as the focal point for implementing nutrition programs and projects, addressing a key obstacle to the successful execution of nutrition initiatives in the territory.
“This initiative is crucial for the effective implementation of JICA’s nutrition project and other related interventions,” Nyah explained.
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Udo Atang, Head of the FCT Civil Service, confirmed that the proposal for the Nutrition Department had been submitted to the Common Services, ensuring it is properly integrated into the FCTA’s organizational structure.
He noted that recommendations for appointing the head of the new department and other necessary deployments would be forwarded to the Minister for approval.
The establishment of this multisectoral structure is expected to enhance coordination and execution of nutrition programs within the FCTA.
Matsunaga Kazuyoshi, Japan’s Ambassador to Nigeria, emphasized the importance of JICA’s nutrition and open defecation projects, which are among various initiatives implemented in the FCT.
He urged for further collaboration to strengthen these impactful projects and benefit more communities.
Sonoyama Hideki, Chief Project Advisor for CADNIP, reported that the project, originally scheduled to run from March 2019 to February 2024, has been extended to October 2024. The project aims to assist 11,000 pregnant women, young children, and mothers in rural areas by fostering effective food-based nutrition improvement strategies.
Hideki noted that the project’s success is evidenced by significant improvements in dietary diversity and meal frequency among targeted groups. Over five years, dietary diversity for children aged six to 23 months rose from 31.8% to 49.8%, while meal frequency for the same age group increased from 81.5% to 86.9%. Additionally, the dietary diversity of mothers and pregnant women improved from 41.3% to 54.1%.
