SUN Business Network Nigeria

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SUN Business Network Nigeria
SUN Business Network Nigeria
SUN Business Network Nigeria

Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement Business Network (SBN)

The Federal Republic of Nigeria joined the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement in November 2011, following a letter of commitment from Prof. C.O. Onyebuchi Chukwu, the country’s health minister at the time. The SUN Business Network (SBN) in Nigeria was formalised five years later in 2016, after which a coordinator was appointed to liaise with the government on matters of private sector and nutrition. With over 380 members and counting, SBN Nigeria is consistently expanding its reach, increasingly working at the subnational level. In Nigeria, the SUN Business Network (SBN) is convened by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN). The SUN Business Network in Nigeria was launched on 21st April, 2016 at a convening of Businesses, NGOs, UN Agencies, Donors and Government. In a Call to Action at the launch event, the Strategy for SBN was laid out with the Purpose, Vision, Target Areas and Core Objectives clearly identified (after wide consultation) to engage businesses in nutrition. SBN is also working with the Government of Nigeria to chart entry points for businesses to contribute to a reduction in malnutrition, in line with Nigeria’s National Food and Nutrition Policy.

The work of SBN Nigeria is focused around five main areas:

  • Advocating for increased involvement and contribution of private sector actors in the nutrition space.
  • Creating greater demand for nutritious foods through consumer awareness activities facilitated by SBN members.
  • Ensuring effective participation of private sector in government’s nutrition initiatives (including policy development and implementation) that would improve the enabling environment for businesses.
  • Improving access to nutritious foods.
  • Facilitating nutrition initiatives in workplaces

In working towards these, the network engages in a variety of activities. To support an enabling environment for nutrition-focused companies, especially micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), SBN Nigeria facilitates and promotes-

  • a. Business-to-business linkages and collaborations and provides a conducive platform through which public-private sector dialogues can take place.
  • b. Identifying and facilitating access to finance for SMEs so they can continue to scale and innovate is also a priority.
  • c. SBN Nigeria works to enhance the knowledge of businesses on nutrition and food safety, and how they can contribute to improve access to better nutrition in line with the priorities of Government.
  • d. Equipping these businesses with knowledge, improves the nutritional value of their products and services, and their ability to drive consumer demand for local, regionally-grown nutritious ingredients– developing their knowledge of optimum food sources and how these can benefit their health.
  • e. Working with businesses across food value-chains, SBN supports the strengthening of indigenous supply chains through linkage with required technical assistance offered by global SBN members, partners, or local service providers.
  • f. SBN works with actors at all stages throughout the food chain to improve access to nutritious food: facilitating the innovation and development of appealing and affordable locally produced products; identifying gaps in business structures and offering technical solutions to bridge these; and promoting investments in the nutrition sector to ensure access points and sustainable supply.