FCT minister Nyesom Wike has promised to increase funds allocation for nutrition intervention in the FCT Administration’s 2025 budget.

Mr Wike made the promise when the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) visited him in Abuja on Tuesday.

The minister particularly commended the agency’s Capacity Development for Nutrition Improvement Project (CADNIP) in Abuja and open defecation projects, which he described as a huge success.

He said that to sustain the successes, the FCTA would improve the budgetary allocation for nutrition intervention in 2025, but with a caveat on transparency and accountability in utilising the funds.

He pointed out that improved nutrition was key to achieving health, education and agriculture goals, among other sectors.

Mr Wike further requested the continuation of JICA intervention in education, particularly to improve the teaching of mathematics and other science subjects in FCT public schools.

Mandate secretary for economic planning, revenue generation and public-private partnership, Ubokutom Nyah, disclosed Mr Wike’s approval to establish the Nutrition Department in the secretariat and Nutrition Unit across the FCTA secretariat and agencies.

Mr Nyah pointed out that the FCTA has struggled to establish the nutrition department as the focal point for the operation of nutrition programmes and projects.

“This was the clog that was holding the success and implementation of the nutrition project in the FCTA. It is part of the requirement for the smooth implementation of the JICA nutrition project and other nutrition interventions,” he said.

Udo Atang, head of FCT civil service, said the approval for establishing the nutrition department had been forwarded to Common Services.

Mr Atang explained that the measure was for the department to be properly reflected in the FCTA’s organisational structure. He said that recommendations for appointing the head of the Nutrition Department and other deployments would be forwarded to the minister for approval.

According to him, the multisectoral approval would enhance the structure and improve nutrition programme coordination and implementation in the FCTA.

(NAN)