The Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives, Federal Affairs and General Administration has issued the new implementation procedure for the Multisector Nutrition Programme, designed to guide provinces and local governments in planning, budgeting, implementing and monitoring nutrition-related interventions. The framework emphasizes coordinated action across several sectors rather than treating malnutrition solely as a health issue.

The procedure gives priority to vulnerable groups, including pregnant and lactating women, children, adolescent girls and nutritionally at-risk households. It incorporates measures to prevent and manage severe and moderate acute malnutrition, improve infant and young-child feeding practices, strengthen nutrition-sensitive agriculture, expand safe water and sanitation, support behaviour-change communication and improve access to essential nutrition services.

The document also establishes detailed mechanisms for local planning, beneficiary selection, grants, performance-linked financing, monitoring and reporting. Local governments are required to form or activate nutrition coordination structures, prepare annual programmes and budgets, track progress through specified indicators and maintain records on nutrition, health, agriculture, WASH and related services. Performance-based disbursement and regular reporting are intended to strengthen accountability and ensure that funding produces measurable results.

The procedure further promotes community participation, social behaviour change, capacity-building of local officials and frontline workers, and coordination among federal, provincial and local agencies. By integrating nutrition into broader local development systems, the government aims to reduce malnutrition, improve food and nutrition security and accelerate progress toward national nutrition and Sustainable Development Goal targets.