The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and UNICEF have urged the leadership of the six area councils of the FCT to take full ownership of local food and nutrition programmes to curb malnutrition and boost food security.

Ubokutom Nyah, mandate secretary, Economic Planning, Revenue Generation, and Public-Private Partnership (EPRGPPP) Secretariat, FCTA, made the call at the Area Council Committee on Food and Nutrition’s 2nd Quarter Meeting and Capacity Building.

Mr Nyah, who was represented at the event in Abuja on Monday by the acting permanent secretary at the secretariat, Uba Bala, described nutrition security as a “cornerstone of human capital development and economic growth”.

While acknowledging UNICEF’s financial and technical support, Mr Nyah emphasised that policy success relies heavily on grassroots execution across local wards and households.

According to him, a healthy population serves as the true driver of economic prosperity and sustainable growth.

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

He charged the area council leadership and specialised nutrition focal officers to take firm ownership of local initiatives, streamline inter-sectoral coordination, and ensure that vital resources directly reach the territory’s most vulnerable populations.

In her remarks, the director of Food and Nutrition Department, EPRGPPP, Princess Gaza-Oluwafemi, explained that the capacity-building was designed to deepen participants’ understanding of core nutrition concepts and the current local malnutrition burden.

Mrs Gaza-Oluwafemi added that the workshop would also enlighten participants on high-priority nutrition interventions and the critical first 1,000 days of life.

She added that the programme focused on sharpening operational skills in monitoring, evaluation, reporting, multisectoral coordination, the Child Nutrition Fund match mechanism, and the formulation of actionable, localised work plans.

The director urged all attendees to translate their newly acquired theoretical knowledge into direct action within their respective jurisdictions, emphasising that local officers sit on the front lines of community-based health interventions.

Similarly, the acting executive secretary, FCT Primary Health Care Board, Dan Gadzama, stressed the indispensable role that local committees play in tackling nutrition challenges, particularly among vulnerable populations such as pregnant women and young children.

Ms Gadzama pointed out that while policies were formulated at the higher tiers of government, practical execution occurs almost entirely at the area council level, making local committees the essential bridge between policy design and tangible community benefit.

He expressed sincere gratitude to the EPRGPPP Secretariat for organising the capacity-building workshop.

He also lauded UNICEF and area council chairmen for their unwavering commitment to elevating health standards across the nation’s capital.

Chizoba Steve-Edemba, representing the UNICEF-U.S. Department of State Maternal and Child Health Umbrella Grant, commended the joint effort and reiterated that local committees are best positioned to drive meaningful change.

Ms Steve-Edemba emphasised that the interactive training would clearly delineate individual roles within the broader governance structure, equipping leaders with the precise tools necessary to manage and sustain high-impact food programmes in their communities.

Reacting, the vice chairmen from all six area councils pledged to prioritise the implementation of nutrition policies.

The Aid Diversion Committees for each of the area councils were inaugurated at the event to guarantee total transparency and accountability in resource management. 

(NAN)