Nigeria’s SUN Civil Society Alliance (CSA), known as the Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN), was formed in 2013. The CSA comprises over 100 registered member organizations spread across Nigeria’s 6 geopolitical zones. It is also present in 25 of the country’s 36 states, through 21 state chapters and 4 local working groups.
One of the main reasons for applying for the Pooled Fund grant was to enable CS-SUNN to make systemic changes by establishing sub-national chapters in four states (Rivers, Kwara, Imo and Oyo) and strengthening existing alliances in Gombe and the Federal Capital Territory, which have a high burden of malnutrition.
The government developed the National Policy on Food and Nutrition (NPFN) 2016–2025 and its strategic plan. CS-SUNN and other partners played a key role in advocating for the development and implementation of the NPFN at the sub-national level. With the support of the Pooled Fund, the CSA ensured the NPFN and the costed multi-sectoral nutrition plan were adopted by three states.
CS-SUNN organized several round-table discussions with local stakeholders to promote multi-sectoral nutrition planning and implementation. Advocacy activities were organized, with media coverage at the sub-national level, in order to generate wider coverage at the community level.
CS-SUNN’s advocacy focused primarily on financial resource mobilization and increased resources for nutrition from both domestic and external sources. Evidence-based advocacy resulted in the disbursement of government counterpart funding of 50 million Naira (approximately USD 130,000) to procure ready-to-use therapeutic food in Gombe state.
The Pooled Fund played a catalytic role in enabling the CSA to advocate for resource mobilization; 22 champions and influencers talked about nutrition in key decision-making forums. Six advocacy briefs on nutrition issues were submitted at policy forums.
CS-SUNN has a sustainability strategy and a clear resource mobilization strategy. It is successful in sourcing funding, it has a stable membership and it holds regular meetings with members and other partners in the nutrition sector.
To involve community representatives in decision-making processes, the CSA implemented activities related to gender mainstreaming, focusing on adolescents and reaching those furthest behind. Nutrition plans included statements prioritizing women in capacity-building activities, engaging women groups at community and state levels, and prioritizing adolescent nutrition education in schools.