The House of Representatives has resolved to probe the alleged mismanagement and misapplication of $232 million (equivalent to N350 billion) loan for the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) Program.
The resolution was passed sequel to the adoption of a motion sponsored by Chairman of the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, Rep. Chike John Okafor during Thursday’s plenary.
In his lead debate, Okafor explained that the $232 million loan was obtained for the implementation of the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) from World Bank-funded performance-based project that uses loans to address nutritional challenges in Nigeria and to provide improved nutrition for vulnerable communities by increasing access to quality, cost-effective nutrition services for pregnant and lactating women, adolescent girls, and children under five years of age in the following 12 selected states (Abia, Akwa Ibom, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Oyo, and Plateau) from the six geopolitical zones.
He said: “The House is also aware that the ANRIN Program was entered into by the Federal Government in 2018 to achieve a balance between the urgent need to protect Nigerian children from the devastating and life-long effects of malnutrition with the expectation of improved nutritional interventions and outcomes before December 2024.
“The House is concerned that the programmes so far have been alleged to be ‘water, water everywhere but no water to drink,’ a beautiful program for solving malnutrition challenges, but it has appeared to produce miraculous and ineffective outcomes, taking cognizant of the reports and current indicators of Nigeria amidst such a humongous loan from the World Bank.
“The House is worried that the recently released Nigeria Demographic Health Survey 2023/2024 indicated a worsening of nutrition specifics with indices showing an increase in under -5 stunting and malnutrition and the current realities raising question about the $232 million spent tor nutritional interventions and Nigeria’s poor global ranking”.
The House mandated the Committees on Nutrition and Food Security, Finance, Aids, Loan, and Debt Management to invite the Federal Ministry of Health, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, World Bank, the twelve beneficiary States and other relevant stakeholders involved to provide necessary documents and insights on the program for ease of investigation and report within four weeks for further legislative action
Be the first to comment