By Princess Simon (Bureau Chief North Central, in Minna)
Participants at the one-day Niger State Strategic Media Engagement Forum on Domestic Nutrition Financing has blamed Niger state government for rising cases of malnutrition, causing stunting and other preventable diseases that causes poor growth due to malnourishment and improper development of children.
If governments invest more in food security so that there will be available balanced diet for children, ensure quality and affordable health care delivery system, stunting caused by malnutrition, according to the participants will drastically reduce if not completely eradicated.
Another cause of malnourishment and stunting in children is that government's annual budgets on food and nutrition are hardly utilized for the purpose for which it was set aside, hence the resolve that the media should do more of developmental journalism by not only pointing out dangers of diverting funds meant for nutrition but follow up to ensure full utilization of such monies for the purpose for which it was set aside.
After reports on budgets presentation, participants, including journalists agreed that the media should follow up with tracking the monies to avoid diversion or hold government accountable if such monies meant for nutrition financing for women and children in the state is unaccounted for.
Also speaking, the Executive Director, Niger State Primary Health Care Development Agency (NSPHCDA), Dr. Inuwa Junaidu challenged the media to be more professional in criticizing governments over perceived wrong decisions by reporting with facts and figures.
Though government may not have done enough to please everybody, journalists as the watchdog of the society should also reflect in their reports areas government has done well instead of outright condemnation of the entire policies and programmes.
Earlier, Niger state Secretary, Civil Society-Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN), Victoria Matthew said the event which took place at Haske Hotel is aimed at strengthening evidence-media based understanding and reporting on domestic nutrition financing.
Participants are expected to mobilize media organizations as strategic advocacy partners for improved nutrition financing accountability whenever the need arises.
Other objectives, Victoria said includes developing and disseminating strategic resources and support sustained nutrition financing advocacy, and to amplify public discourse on domestic nutrition financing through strategic media appearances and state-level engagements. NNL.
