Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN)

Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) is a 21-year Federal Government response facilitated by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) at Primary Health Care level in a Phased Approach: 2019-2040 to reduce chronic malnutrition (stunting and micronutrient deficiencies) and thus reduce maternal and child mortality rates and over time, increase school completion and performance, and improve labour force productivity.

The Project’s objective is to increase utilization of quality, cost-effective nutrition services for pregnant and lactating women, adolescent girls, and children under five years in Abia, Akwa Ibom, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Oyo and Plateau States. Phase 1 of the project is a 5-year duration: 2019-2023.

Efforts to address these above recurrent challenges call for effective involvement and participation of faith actors in disseminating correct information and promoting positive MIYCN practices. It is in this regards that the Centre for Communication and Social Impact (CCSI) as a Non–State Actor (NSA) is engaged by the Federal Ministry of Health through the ANRiN Project Management Unit (PMU) to implement an innovative social and behavior change communication campaign through faith leaders in the twelve ANRIN project states with the goal of improving knowledge, attitude, and practices around maternal, infant, and young child nutrition. Faith Actors and households can play key role in promoting positive MIYCN practices whereby Faith Actors (FAs) can be important advocates and mobilizers to improve and sustain optimal MIYCN practices among mothers, families, and communities and to ensure that infants (0-5 months old) are exclusively breastfed for the first six months, and young children (6-23 months old) are fed with the minimum acceptable diets.

By the end of ANRiN project phase 1 in December 2023, we will be reaching over three (3) million women of reproductive age at the household level to increase and improve positive behavioral outcomes on maternal, infant, and young child nutrition, notably early, exclusive, and continued breastfeeding of children up to at least 23 months of age; appropriate complementary feeding of children 6-23 months of age, and early stimulation of young children, in twelve (12) project states, and adolescent health and nutrition in Kaduna state through the engagement of over 1000 faith actors/clerics to deliver key MIYCN and adolescent health messages at community activities, with pregnant and lactating women, adolescent’s girls, and children under five utilizing quality nutrition services at the community resource centres and accredited health facilities.