The federal authorities has reiterated its dedication to strengthening Nigeria’s well being system by institutionalising vitamin funds tagging on the nationwide and sub-national ranges.
Talking on the opening of a four-day Coaching of Trainers workshop on Vitamin Finances Tagging in Abuja, Appearing Everlasting Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finances and Financial Planning, Dr. Sampson Ebimaro, stated the initiative is designed to enhance transparency, accountability, and effectivity in useful resource allocation for vitamin programmes. The coaching has the theme: In direction of a Nationwide Image: Advancing Vitamin Financing via Finances Tagging.
Dr. Ebimaro, who represented the Minister of Finances and Financial Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, famous that regardless of the rising recognition of vitamin as a key driver of human well being and socio-economic improvement, challenges stay in translating insurance policies into impactful interventions.
He recognized the absence of a complete and standardised method to monitoring and analysing nutrition-related expenditures as a serious barrier to efficient implementation. “The significance of a transparent understanding of how assets are allotted and spent can’t be overemphasised in assessing the effectiveness of investments and figuring out areas for enchancment,” he stated.
The performing everlasting secretary recalled that the Vitamin Financing Technical Committee (NFTC), inaugurated in 2022, had laid the muse for institutionalising the tagging system, which he described as a game-changer in enhancing visibility for vitamin budgets throughout ministries, departments, and companies.
In accordance with him, the present workshop goals to consolidate these features and prolong the attain of funds tagging programs to states not lined beneath the Accelerating Vitamin Leads to Nigeria (ANRiN 1.0) challenge. He defined that the system has already successfully optimised useful resource allocation and strengthened accountability mechanisms.
Additionally, the director of the Ministry’s Vitamin Division, Clementina Okoro, stated the federal authorities, with help from the World Financial institution via the ANRiN flagship challenge, is deepening engagement on vitamin financing to strengthen human capital improvement.
She disclosed {that a} sequence of trainings had commenced for funds officers, vitamin programme officers, and planning officers on integrating vitamin into the nationwide funds cycle. Whereas the ANRiN initiative initially lined 11 pilot states, she defined that the nationwide growth would supply a extra complete nationwide image of vitamin financing throughout ministries, departments, and companies.
Okoro highlighted the advantages of vitamin funds tagging. It helps establish financing gaps in opposition to the Nationwide Multisectoral Plan of Motion for Vitamin, generates credible numbers for coverage dialogue and advocacy, enhances transparency, and permits monitoring of allocations and releases over time. She added that the system additionally helps assess useful resource use effectivity and fairness, whereas offering proof for mobilising new assets and bettering donor alignment.
“This workshop marks an vital step in embedding vitamin issues into Nigeria’s budgetary processes, making certain simpler and accountable financing for human capital improvement,” she pressured.
Dr. Ebimaro, in the meantime, urged contributors to actively interact in discussions and share progressive concepts that might additional remodel vitamin financing within the nation. He additionally recommended the World Financial institution workforce, led by Dr. Ritgak Tilley-Gyado, for its continued help to Nigeria’s vitamin programmes.
The director, Vitamin Division, Federal Ministry of Well being and Social Welfare, Ladidi Bako-Aiyegbusi stated malnutrition stays a serious public well being improvement problem in Nigeria. In accordance with her, malnutrition contributes considerably to under-five mortality. Citing a 2023 Nigerian demographic well being survey, Bako-Aiyegbusi stated the stunting fee for under-five is now 40 per cent.
“Tackling malnutrition is not only a well being difficulty, it’s a improvement precedence.
And central to addressing this problem is making certain that we allocate and utilise assets successfully, effectively, transparently and strategically. For this reason this two-day coaching on vitamin funds timing could be very essential,” she said.
Malnutrition results in poor studying outcomes at school kids and long-term financial losses because of lowered productiveness.
