Adesina, Muhtar, and Nwuneli of the AfDB were appointed to the UN’s group against malnutrition

Nigeria (Common Wealth) _ Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), has accepted the responsibility assigned to him by the UN to lead the effort to combat malnutrition.

Adesina and 21 other leaders were also chosen over the weekend by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to serve as members of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement Lead Group, which will lead the struggle against malnutrition in all of its forms.

Two other Nigerians were also appointed with Adesina: Mansur Muhtar, vice president of the Islamic Development Bank, and Ndidi Nwuneli, executive chair of the Sahel Consulting Agriculture and Nutrition.

Adesina responded through Twitter, writing: “I am immensely honored that United Nations Secretary-General @antonioguterres has named me as one of the Global Leaders to combat global malnutrition. I’m grateful, SG. I’m excited to assist in achieving this agenda.

The SUN Movement, founded in 2010 by the former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, carries on its mission to improve nutrition for all people, everywhere under the leadership of 22 leaders from around the world who have been chosen to serve as members of the SUN Movement Lead Group and are dedicated to eradicating malnutrition in all of its forms.

With the most recent appointment, these well-known individuals have vowed to support nutrition and lead the SUN Movement in its effort to end all types of malnutrition by 2030.

Nearly half of humanity—three billion people—cannot afford a balanced diet. And two-thirds of kids don’t have the variety in their diets that they require to thrive.

“Human development is impossible without healthy eating. For every child to be able to grow and develop to their greatest potential, they must have access to healthy nutrition. Sadly, more than one in ten people on the planet today suffer from serious food and nutrition insecurity.

“I think it’s more important than ever to take the strategy taken by the SUN Movement to combat malnutrition through a country-owned multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder approach.

According to a statement from Guterres, “These global leaders are supporting country-led efforts to scale up nutrition and to deliver for girls, boys, and their families a world free from malnutrition by 2030.”

Representatives from the SUN Movement’s membership are included in the Lead Group for the SUN Movement. This includes 16 United Nations agencies, 65 nations, four Indian states, over 4,000 civil society organizations, over 1,400 companies, as well as international financial institutions, donor governments, and philanthropies that support nutrition.

The Movement is committed to collaborating and taking action on nutrition issues, including assisting nations in putting laws and policies into place that will give every child, adolescent, mother, and family access to healthy food.

It encourages a comprehensive strategy in which stakeholders work together for coordinated national action, funding, and national ownership in support of nutrition advocacy.