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The Oyo State Government, in partnership with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), has launched a four-year Multi-Sectoral Strategic Plan of Action on Food and Nutrition (OYSMPFAN) to combat malnutrition and hunger among children and women in the state. The initiative aims to provide a guiding framework for ensuring food and nutrition security at all levels, from households to local communities.
The Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Misbaudeen Babatunde, represented by the Executive Assistant on Finance, Budget, and Economic Planning, Gafar Bello, inaugurated the plan in Ibadan, reaffirming the government’s commitment to eradicating malnutrition across the state.
Oyo State has allocated N250 million as its counterpart fund for the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) project, a World Bank-supported initiative that commenced in March 2020. An additional N100 million has been committed to the Basic Health Care Provision Fund project, bringing the total investment in nutrition-focused interventions to N350 million.
Babatunde stated that the initiative aligns with the broader policies of Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration to enhance economic growth, employment, and wealth creation, as well as creating an enabling environment for women and children in the state. He also announced the development and launch of Agenda 2040, a 20-year development plan designed with input from both state and non-state actors, serving as a roadmap for sustained economic and social development, including strategies to enhance food security and child welfare.
UNICEF’s representative, Boluwatife Ogunjimi, highlighted the alarming rate of child malnutrition in the state, revealing that 34.5% of children suffer from stunted growth due to inadequate nutrition and stressed that malnutrition is a leading contributor to child mortality.