By: Adelowo Oladipo, Minna
The Niger State Ministry of Information and Orientation has pledged its full support for the N-25 Initiative, assuring that it will deploy its personnel and communication platforms to disseminate information on all activities of the programme to enhance public understanding, community acceptance and improve nutrition outcomes across the state.
The Information Service Unit, Niger State Ministry of Information and Orientation Stated this in a statement issued and made available to Journalists on Sunday in Minna
The statement added that the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Hon. Obed Nuhu Nana, made this commitment through his representative, the Director of Information Services in the Ministry, during the sensitisation and orientation meeting on the N-25 Initiative held in Minna.
It stated that the Commissioner said effective communication was critical to the success of the initiative, noting that sustained public enlightenment would help take vital nutrition messages to communities, particularly women, mothers, caregivers and other vulnerable groups.
He assured stakeholders that the Ministry would work closely with the Niger State Planning Commission (NSPC), UNICEF and other implementing partners to ensure that information on the programme’s interventions, activities and achievements reaches the people through the media and other strategic communication channels.
According to him, improved visibility and understanding of the N-25 Initiative would strengthen community ownership, encourage participation and ultimately contribute to better nutrition outcomes for mothers and children across the 25 Local Government Areas.
The Niger State Planning Commission (NSPC), in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), are implementing the N-25 Initiative at the state-level operational framework designed to strengthen nutrition security and improve maternal and child health outcomes across the state.
The sensitisation and orientation meeting was attended by the 25 Local Government Area Chairmen, Directors of Personnel Management, health officials and other key stakeholders.
The initiative is aligned with the broader N-774 national framework which seeks to translate national nutrition priorities into coordinated, sustainable and measurable interventions at the grassroots.
Speaking at the meeting, the Executive Director of the Niger State Primary Health Care Development Agency (NSPHCDA) emphasised that nutrition services, ranging from prevention to the treatment of malnutrition, remain integral to effective Primary Health Care delivery. He noted that addressing malnutrition requires a coordinated, multi-sectoral approach involving health, agriculture, education and other relevant sectors.
The Permanent Secretary, Niger State Planning Commission, Hajiya Aisha T. Usman, described the initiative as an urgent call to action, urging local government authorities to ensure that women, children and households have access to adequate and quality nutrition services.
She called on the 25 LGA Chairmen to demonstrate strong political commitment by supporting nutrition focal persons and strengthening grassroots structures responsible for delivering nutrition interventions.
Also speaking, UNICEF Nutrition State Facilitator, Aisha Jibril Kallamu, reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to supporting grassroots mobilisation and strengthening an effective multi-sectoral framework for nutrition service delivery across the state.
The orientation identified four key pillars for successful implementation: clarity of operational goals; effective translation of strategy into budgets and service delivery schedules; data-driven accountability through regular scorecards; and continuous monitoring and review meetings.
The N-25 Initiative is expected to deepen political ownership, strengthen institutional capacity and foster collaboration among key sectors, with particular emphasis on improving nutrition outcomes for pregnant women, mothers and children under five during the critical first 1,000 days of life.
Through the initiative, Niger State is positioning its 25 local governments as key drivers of sustainable nutrition interventions, with strategic communication and community engagement expected to play a vital role in improving awareness, participation and overall programme outcomes.
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