Effective Advocacy, Partnerships Key to Improving Nutrition Outcomes — CS-SUNN
By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna
A Senior Programming Officer of the Civil Society Scaling-Up Nutrition in Nigeria, Kunle Ishola, has emphasized that effective advocacy, strategic partnerships, and a clear understanding of policy processes are critical to improving nutrition outcomes in Nigeria.
Speaking during a capacity strengthening workshop for state chapters of CS-SUNN in Kaduna, Ishola said many advocacy efforts fall short due to weak coordination and limited understanding of how decision-making systems work.
“Advocacy is not just about shouting slogans. It’s about understanding the system, building relationships, and influencing decision-makers,” he said.
He stressed that civil society actors must go beyond awareness creation and actively engage key stakeholders, including policymakers, community leaders, and development partners, to drive meaningful change.
According to him, one of the most effective solutions to weak advocacy outcomes is building strong alliances and partnerships across sectors.
“No single organization can achieve nutrition goals alone. We need to work together, build partnerships, and leverage resources to drive change,” he said.
Ishola also highlighted the importance of clearly understanding the distinction between food security and nutrition security in shaping effective interventions.
“Food security focuses on access to sufficient food availability, affordability, and physical access. It is about quantity,” he explained.
“Nutrition security goes beyond that. It focuses on access to nutritious food that meets dietary needs, including quality, health, and care practices. It is about having a balanced diet for optimal health.”
“Food security is about having enough food on the table, while nutrition security is about having the right food on the table,” he added.
Earlier in his remarks, a member of the CS-SUNN Steering Committee, Ibrahim Tudu, underscored the importance of equipping advocates with the right tools and knowledge to drive change.
“Advocacy is a critical component of our work, and we need to ensure that our advocates are equipped with the right skills and knowledge to drive change,” he said.
Tudu explained that the training is designed to strengthen leadership capacity and improve accountability within state chapters.
“We are taking participants through the Constitution and governance model to ensure that every member understands how the organization operates from top to bottom. This is critical for accountability and sustainability,” he said.
He added that participants are expected to apply the knowledge gained to improve performance within their respective chapters.
Also speaking, the Programme Officer of CS-SUNN, Hope Ikani, outlined the objectives of the training, noting that it is aimed at strengthening programmatic leadership and enhancing advocacy capacity.
“The training is to strengthen the capacity of programmatic leadership, jointly develop the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the state executive officers, build the capacity of state chapter members in leadership and advocacy, enhance their knowledge of alliance protocols, and collaboratively develop an annual work plan for the state chapter,” she said.
The workshop, organized by CS-SUNN, focuses on leadership, tracking, and evaluation using Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), as well as improving advocacy strategies among state chapters.
Participants drawn from civil society organizations, and media, are expected to leave the training better equipped to strengthen accountability, improve advocacy efforts, and contribute to improved nutrition outcomes, particularly for women and children.
The initiative forms part of ongoing efforts to reinforce the role of civil society in supporting government interventions and ensuring that nutrition services reach vulnerable populations across the country.
