On 6 February 2022, during the 35th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly, the African Union recognised the African Development Bank Group’s African Leaders for Nutrition Initiative, for its commitment to supporting nutrition advocacy and advancing investments in nutrition across the continent.
The African Leaders for Nutrition (ALN) Initiative is a platform for high-level political engagement to advance nutrition in Africa, led by current and former heads of state, finance ministers and eminent leaders. The recognition comes as the Assembly Session declared 2022 the “African Union Year of Nutrition,” and as Bank President, Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina emphasised the importance of promoting nutrition during his address to assembled heads of state.
The ALN Initiative is part of eight flagship programs launched under the African Development Bank’s High 5 priorities, particularly “Feed Africa” and “Improve the quality of life for the people of Africa.” It is led by a group of Champions, comprising current and former heads of state, finance ministers and eminent leaders with the power to catalyse and sustain high-level political leadership and commitment to end malnutrition in Africa. The ALN initiative was endorsed by the Assembly of Heads of State and Governments of the African Union at the 30th Ordinary AU Summit, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 31 January 2018.
With a special focus on the first 1,000 days of a child’s life and the grey matter infrastructure, the ALN Initiative aims to influence and generate innovative investments towards nutrition and food security that will build a foundation for productive human capital in Africa. The Initiative focuses on priority areas that strengthen political leadership, broaden evidence and encourage accountability and investments. It aims to promote three goals for the Year of Nutrition. First, securing investments to implement a nutrition action plan that reduces malnutrition across the continent. Second, identifying cost-effective interventions worth implementing. Third, promoting accountability as African Union member states aim to meet World Health Assembly and United Nations Sustainable Development Goal nutrition targets.
The African Union Year of Nutrition theme focuses on strengthening the continent’s nutritional resilience and food security, and will aim to strengthen core systems such as the agri-food, health, and social protection systems, as well as aim to accelerate human, social, and economic capital development in Africa.
The African Leaders for Nutrition will support the African Union Commission and the government of Cote d’Ivoire to bring the Initiative’s “nutrition champions” together to devise strategies to ensure proper implementation of the declaration. The initiative will also support the African Union Commission on advocacy with African leaders to increase investment in carefully targeted interventions and help track progress with implementation. The initiative also plans to convene high-level consultative meetings with African country stakeholders about unlocking additional resources for investing in nutrition. African Leaders for Nutrition is also scheduled to endorse a mid-year review that will quantify progress in addressing the African Union Year of Nutrition declaration.
Advancing nutrition is weaved into the Bank’s Feed Africa strategy, extending across numerous Bank programs, such as our Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation flagship that is delivering climate-adapted technologies to millions of African smallholder farmers, helping them produce more – and more nutritious – food.
Dr. Martin Fregene, Director, Agriculture and Agro-Industry, African Development Bank, speaking on the sidelines of the 35th African Union Assembly.
For more on the African Leaders for Nutrition, see here.
Source: African Development Bank Group.
