The Ekiti State Government has inaugurated Local Government Committees on Food and Nutrition (LGCFN) across the 16 Local Government Areas of the state to strengthen 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 Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Mr Femi Ajayi, said the initiative reflected the government’s renewed commitment to protecting citizens’ health, strengthening human capital and building a more productive future for the state.
Ajayi, who commended UNICEF for its technical support, urged 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, stressing that nutrition should be treated as an economic development priority rather than merely a social-sector intervention.
The Permanent Secretary of the ministry and Chairman of the Ekiti State Committee on Food and Nutrition, Mr Sola Akinluyi, said the committees would strengthen the institutional framework for achieving better food and nutrition outcomes. He said the initiative aligned with the Federal Government’s N-774 initiative, which seeks to promote food security and combat malnutrition across the country’s 774 Local Government Areas, in furtherance of the Sustainable Development Goal 2 on Zero Hunger.
Akinluyi disclosed that Ekiti was also partnering with UNICEF under the 1:1 Nutrition Match Fund to address childhood stunting, wasting and micronutrient deficiencies. He commended Governor Biodun Oyebanji for his support for nutrition programmes, particularly his commitment to the Match Fund, while the Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Ekiti Chapter, Chief Ojo Oluwasegun, pledged the commitment of the 16 local government chairmen to regular meetings, community mobilisation and effective 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 government policies into practical interventions targeting maternal and child nutrition, economic resilience and the Sustainable Development Goals, while involving traditional rulers, religious leaders, women’s groups and community development associations in reaching children under five, pregnant women, nursing mothers and food-insecure households.
In a related development, the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, with UNICEF support, organised a two-day workshop on the development of the 2027 Nutrition Annual Operational Plan and preparatory meeting for the 2027 nutrition budget. The workshop brought together officials from relevant ministries, departments and agencies, with UNICEF Nutrition Specialist, Mr Oyeniyi Oyedokun, urging MDAs to prioritise high-impact interventions and strengthen inter-sectoral coordination to accelerate the reduction of stunting, wasting and micronutrient deficiencies in the state.
