The UNICEF has announced the selection of 20 local government areas in Oyo State for a United States-funded intervention aimed at preventing malnutrition during the critical first 1,000 days of life.
Speaking at the programme’s inception meeting in Ibadan, the UNICEF Nutrition Manager in Nigeria, Sumit Karn, said the one-year initiative will target pregnant women, nursing mothers, and children under the age of two.
The two-day stakeholders’ meeting, which began in the state capital, brought together health officials and local government representatives to outline strategies for implementation at the grassroots level.
Oyo State Commissioner for Health, Oluwaserimi Ajetumobi, commended ongoing efforts by the state government to address malnutrition, noting progress made since 2024. She urged participating local councils to ensure effective delivery of the programme.
Ajetumobi disclosed that the state, in partnership with UNICEF, has secured nutritional supplements to be distributed free of charge to eligible mothers across the selected LGAs.
Also speaking, Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Oyo State, Sikiru Sanda, assured that the supplements would be transparently managed and delivered to intended beneficiaries.
Executive Secretary of the Oyo State Primary Health Care Board, Muyideen Olatunji, described the grant as a recognition of the state’s performance in healthcare delivery, expressing optimism that the intervention would further improve maternal and child health outcomes.
The programme which continues on Thursday, May 7 is expected to strengthen nutrition indicators in the state and reinforce ongoing efforts to tackle malnutrition at the community level.
