By Blessing Bature
The Federal Government has entered into a partnership with a United States-based initiative, Operation End Starvation, to mobilise more than $1 billion over the next two years to tackle child malnutrition and prevent starvation-related deaths across sub-Saharan Africa, with Nigeria identified as a priority country.
The partnership was announced on Monday following a meeting between the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, representatives of Operation End Starvation and other government officials, and the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
According to a statement by Busola Kukoyi, Senior Special Assistant on Media to the First Lady, the meeting focused on areas of collaboration to strengthen Nigeria’s response to hunger and child malnutrition.
Operation End Starvation, an initiative of the Eleanor Crook Foundation, brings together public and private sector partners to address child malnutrition and reduce deaths associated with starvation across sub-Saharan Africa.
The Chief Executive Officer of Operation End Starvation, Williams Moore, said the initiative was designed to channel more than $1 billion into efforts to prevent starvation-related deaths among children within two years.
He explained that the programme would be supported by a grant from the United States government and contributions from international philanthropists, with a focus on countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
Moore said Nigeria had been approved for inclusion in the initiative by the US State Department, adding that the foundation was encouraged by the government’s commitment to addressing acute malnutrition.
He also commended Nigeria’s health officials, describing the team as one of the strongest the organisation had engaged with during its consultations.
According to him, the partnership would provide an opportunity to strengthen ongoing interventions through coordinated action between government institutions and international development partners.
Speaking on the proposed collaboration, minister of health and social welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate said the initiative would complement existing government programmes aimed at improving food access and tackling malnutrition among vulnerable populations.
He highlighted the National Community Food Bank Programme, implemented in partnership with the Office of the First Lady, as part of efforts to improve access to food across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
The minister said the government was working to reduce the estimated 6.4 million cases of acute malnutrition among children while also addressing the nutritional needs of pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers.
He added that several interventions were already being implemented to confront the country’s nutritional challenges.
The first Lady of Nigeria, Remi Tinubu welcomed the proposed collaboration and expressed confidence in the capacity of Nigerian officials to ensure that resources and support provided through the initiative would be effectively utilised.
She praised the commitment of government personnel working across different sectors, including health and education, noting that cooperation among ministries was essential to improving public services.
The First Lady said President Bola Tinubu’s administration was working to reform the country’s systems and ensure that available resources delivered better outcomes for Nigerians.
She stressed that investments in the country’s development were necessary and that effective public institutions would ultimately benefit the wider population.
Tinubu also assured the delegation that assistance provided through the partnership would be put to productive use by the country’s health team.
