Civil Society seek nutrition investments in Benue to protect children, economy

2026-02-14 - 19:51

By Peter Duru, Makurdi The Civil Society–Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) has warned that malnutrition remains a pressing challenge in Benue State, threatening both child survival and the state’s economic future. Speaking at a media roundtable in Makurdi, weekend, Sunday Okoronkwo, Executive Secretary of CS-SUNN, highlighted the alarming nutrition statistics affecting children across the state. He noted that “despite Benue being celebrated as Nigeria’s ‘Food Basket,’ we are witnessing persistently high rates of child malnutrition,” Okoronkwo said. “Stunting affects 25.3 percent of children, wasting 6.7 percent, and underweight 13.6 percent. These figures are unacceptable and demand urgent intervention,” he added. Okoronkwo also emphasized that widespread household food insecurity compounds the problem, threatening not only the health of children but also their ability to learn and grow into productive adults. He warned that these nutrition challenges have far-reaching consequences for education, productivity, and overall development. “Investing in nutrition is a smart economic strategy. Evidence shows that supporting mothers and children during the first 1,000 days of life yields high returns for health, learning, and productivity,” he said. The media roundtable was convened by CS-SUNN with support from UNICEF, under the project titled “Increased Investment in Nutrition to Scale Up Quality Nutrition Services.” The initiative aims to strengthen multi-sectoral collaboration to improve nutrition outcomes in the state. Participants called on government, media, the private sector, and civil society to take immediate and coordinated action to implement the Benue State Multisectoral Plan of Action for Food and Nutrition (BSMPFAN). For government, key recommendations included increasing and ring-fencing nutrition budgets, extending maternity leave to six months, and ensuring the full operationalization of BSMPFAN. The media was urged to raise public awareness about nutrition challenges while holding authorities accountable for funding and service delivery. Private sector actors were encouraged to invest in nutritious foods, support family-friendly workplace policies, and co-invest in local agricultural value chains to improve accessibility of healthy foods. Civil society organizations and NGOs were tasked with mobilizing communities, tracking service delivery, and aligning their interventions with state priorities to ensure maximum impact. “Benue can move from being a food basket to a nutrition-secure state. Acting now will save lives, build human capital, and strengthen our economy,” Okoronkwo added.