Department for International Development (DFID), Programme Officer, in Nigeria Ijeoma Agwu has said the organisation has invested £300 million in five years on humanitarian response to save lives and minimize suffering in North-east Nigeria.
She stated this stated at the final project review and close out meeting of the Integrated Basic Nutrition Response to humanitarian crises in Borno and Yobe states held at Maidugu Hotel Gombe.
The close out meeting is also for the multi sectoral Pilot Integrated Nutrition Programming plus (INP+) funded by Action Against Hunger, World Food Programme and UNICEF.
Ijeoma Agwu said, the UK considers Nigeria a key partner and that the UK remains the one of the leading international donors to the humanitarian response here in North-east Nigeria, delivering urgent assistance to save live and minimize suffering.
According to her, “DFID is currently investing £300 million over five years, reaching over one million people in 2018 alone with life-saving food assistance, 532,000 with clean water and 196,000 with health care”.
She added that the UK is also supporting the government of Nigeria to address the root causes of the conflict and rebuild communities in the longer term.
On her part Mr. Nwogu Kelechukwu, the INP+ Consortium Coordinator said even with several interventions and support, malnutrition in Nigeria still remains a very serious menace because nutrition issues has not been taken as a priority by the political class.
He said, “more awareness, more advocacy by the media, technical experts and all stakeholders should join hands to advocate so that nutrition will be made a priority both in Government policies and budgets so that it will become a priority like other health issues”.
Participants at the meeting were brought from national and state Primary Healthcare Development Agencies, nutrition focal persons, partners from the Federal Ministry of Economic Planning and other stakeholders from the two states.
