FCTA, UNICEF Push Food Nutrition Programme Ownership

ABUJA, Nigeria – The FCTA food nutrition programme has received renewed backing as the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and UNICEF urge leaders of the six area councils to take full ownership of local nutrition initiatives to tackle malnutrition and strengthen food security across the nation’s capital.

The call was made on Monday during the Area Council Committee on Food and Nutrition Second Quarter Meeting and Capacity Building Workshop in Abuja, where officials stressed that effective implementation at the grassroots remains critical to improving maternal and child nutrition outcomes.

Speaking at the event, the Mandate Secretary of the FCTA Economic Planning, Revenue Generation and Public-Private Partnership Secretariat, Mr. Ubokutom Nyah, represented by Acting Permanent Secretary Mr. Uba Bala, described nutrition security as a key driver of human capital development and sustainable economic growth.

He acknowledged UNICEF’s continued financial and technical support but emphasised that policies formulated at the secretariat level could only succeed if implemented effectively within communities.

“While overarching strategic frameworks originate at the Secretariat level, their ultimate success depends entirely on the impact made in local wards, villages and households,” Nyah said.

He urged area council chairmen and nutrition focal officers to strengthen coordination, improve service delivery and ensure that nutrition interventions reach the territory’s most vulnerable residents.

Director of the Food and Nutrition Department, Princess Gaza-Oluwafemi, said the capacity-building programme was designed to improve participants’ understanding of nutrition challenges within the FCT while equipping them with practical skills in monitoring, evaluation, reporting and multisectoral coordination.

She explained that the workshop also focused on high-impact nutrition interventions, including the importance of the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, regarded globally as the most critical period for healthy growth and development.

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Mirian Gom

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Gom Mirian AHR Senior Correspondent, has over 8 years’ experience reporting on health, crime, education, investigations, and development issues across Nigeria and Africa. With dual degrees in Economics, she combines analytical skill with compelling storytelling. Widely recognised for her public health and humanitarian reporting, she earned a Nestlé Award nomination for compelling human-interest journalism. Follow her on Twitter @mirian_linus.

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