The House of Representatives has moved to probe the alleged mismanagement of the N350bn ($232 million) World Bank loan set aside for the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRIN) Programme.
This followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Rep Chike Okafor during plenary on Thursday.
The ANRIN is a World Bank-funded initiative set up to tackle Nigeria’s nutritional challenges by improving access to nutrition services for pregnant and lactating women, adolescent girls, children under age five and other vulnerable groups in 12 Nigerian states.
The programme, which was launched in 2018, set out to address malnutrition before its target deadline of December 2024.
Okafor expressed dismay that the programme has been ineffective, noting that reports and current statistics point to worsening nutritional outcomes.
The Imo lawmaker cited the recent Nigeria Demographic Health Survey 2023/2024, which indicated increased stunting and malnutrition rates among Nigerian children under five, raising questions about how the $232 million was spent.
“This programme has been described as ‘water, water everywhere but no water to drink,’ a beautiful initiative that promises to solve Nigeria’s malnutrition problems, yet its outcomes have been largely ineffective,” Okafor said.
Okafor also stressed the need for a thorough investigation into the matter, with a view to assessing the extent of the alleged mismanagement of the funds, evaluating the programme’s impact, and ensuring accountability.
Consequently, the House directed its standing committees on Nutrition and Food Security, Finance, Aids, Loans, and Debt Management to conduct the investigation.
The committees are mandated to invite the Federal Ministry of Health, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, World Bank, the 12 beneficiary states, and other relevant stakeholders to shed light on the matter.
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Reps To Probe Alleged Misuse Of N350bn World Bank Loan is first published on The Whistler Newspaper