FG and 20 States Contribute N7.1bn to Child Nutrition Fund

The Federal Government of Nigeria and 20 states have collectively paid N7.1 billion as a counterpart obligation to the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF), aimed at procuring and distributing life-saving commodities and expanding treatment coverage for severely acute malnourished children. Despite this, 16 states have failed to meet their counterpart fund obligations, which are crucial for supporting life-saving nutrition intervention programs.

Sundai Okonkwo, the Executive Secretary of the Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria, provided an update during a hybrid media roundtable in Abuja, emphasizing the need for states to expedite their participation in the CNF. The CNF, established in 2020, operates on a co-financing mechanism with UNICEF and aims to address malnutrition, particularly anemia, which affects 37% of pregnant women in Nigeria.

Okonkwo urged state governments to approve and release funds to ensure efficient utilization and equitable access to nutrition resources across urban and rural areas.