Dangote supports FG to break poverty, malnutrition cycle
…as gov’t enlists ADF in Core Committee
ALIMOTU SHADIAT
Africa’s foremost philanthropist- Aliko Dangote-is supporting the Federal Government to help break the cycle of poverty and malnutrition in the country.
In a move to tackle severe acute malnutrition in Nigeria, Vice President Kashim Shettima had enlisted the Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) in the high-powered Nutrition Core Working Committee (NCWC).
The critical body, dubbed the “intellectual powerhouse” by the Vice President, will spearhead the fight against hunger and malnutrition across Nigeria.
Fielding questions from newsmen in Abuja, Managing Director of the Aliko Dangote Foundation, Mrs Zouera Youssoufou said the Foundation’s expertise and experience would be leveraged in the onerous task of upturning the negative nutrition indices in the country.
She said the Foundation “stands ready to contribute wholeheartedly to the realization of a healthier, nourished, and more prosperous Nigeria.”
The Managing Director said as a member of the advisory group, the Aliko Dangote Foundation was committed to providing technical assistance and leveraging our resources to implement effective strategies outlined in the National Multisectoral Plan of Action for Food and Nutrition.
She added that ADF’s focus will extend beyond immediate relief to sustainable solutions that empower communities, enhance healthcare systems, and promote education on nutrition.
She said: “Malnutrition poses a significant threat to the health and well-being of our citizens, particularly the most vulnerable – our children. It is a challenge that transcends sectors, requiring a unified and concerted effort to address the complex web of factors contributing to malnutrition.”
She commended the efforts of the Tinubu-led Federal Government to reposition nutrition in her development agenda.
Recognizing the grave threat to our national growth and prosperity, the Federal Government of Nigeria took additional steps to tackle the persisting scourge of severe acute malnutrition in Nigeria through the inauguration Friday of a high-powered Nutrition Core Working Committee (NCWC).
The Vice President called the Committee the “engine room” and “intellectual powerhouse” of the administration’s fight to eliminate sever acute malnutrition in Nigeria through the National Council on Nutrition.
He challenged the committee to start by tackling the malnutrition crisis from the most vulnerable communities.
“Advise us, draw the roadmap,” he implored, emphasizing the crucial role of the members of the committee as expert advisors.
Other members of the Nutrition Core Working Committee (NCWC) are: representatives from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, the World Bank Group, Nutrition International, the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, and the Civil Society Scaling-up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN).
