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Civil Society-Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria

Nutrition is decided in budget meetings, ministries, Government Houses, communities. We make sure civil society is in the room.

CS-SUNN connects 400+ civil society organisations across 30 states to generate evidence, build capacity and hold government to account for nutrition, from federal budgets to local communities.

Participants at round tables during a CS-SUNN policy dialogue Government and civil society stakeholders at a CS-SUNN meeting A speaker addressing policymakers from a podium Young people at a community nutrition session
What changed
₦972m → ₦3.59bnKano’s annual nutrition allocation, 2021 to 2023, after pre-budget advocacy
5 monthsmaternity leave now in Nasarawa’s public service rules: 112 working days
₦1.1bn+approved for Zamfara’s Child Nutrition Fund, with ₦110m released
110+youth advocates leading nutrition dialogues in their communities

What evidence-based advocacy has changed

1,621%Rise in Kaduna State's per-capita nutrition allocation, 2015 to 2023PINNS programme · BMGF
500%+Rise in Lagos State's domestic nutrition budget, 2017 to 2020PINNS 1.0 · 2018 to 2021
27State Houses of Assembly, plus the National Assembly, with dedicated nutrition committeesPINNS 2.0 · 2021 to 2025
₦504mKatsina State Child Nutrition Fund, 2023 to 2024, fully cash-backedIncreased Investment in Nutrition · UNICEF

What we do

Our Strategic Approach (P.A.C.E.I.S)

Our member organisations work together at national and state level, so commitments made in policy reach mothers, children and communities.

Multisectoral and multilevel engagement with key stakeholders.​

Influencing policy, budget, and program implementation.​

Equipping CSOs, government entities, and communities.​

Data-driven programming and accountability.​

Embedding nutrition into government structures.​

Complementing implementation of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions.

Our reach

A national coalition, now strengthening nutrition alliances across Africa

Established in 2015 through the SUN Movement Multi-Partner Trust Fund, CS-SUNN coordinates civil society nutrition action across Nigeria and leads technical assistance to SUN Civil Society Alliances in Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia.

Source: CS-SUNN Organisational Fact Sheet, Knowledge Series 2026

400+

Coalition member organisations

30

States reached across Nigeria

12

Programmes delivered since 2015

4

Countries in the CS-SUNN knowledge network

Map of Nigeria showing CS-SUNN state chapters
CS-SUNN state chapters (29)No chapter yetNational secretariat, AbujaSelect a state to visit its chapter page.
Map of Africa showing Nigeria and the countries where CS-SUNN provides technical assistance
Nigeria: national secretariat and state chaptersKenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia: technical assistanceSelect a highlighted country to learn more.

Our journey, year by year

Flagship programmes

13 programmes since 20141 ongoing

  1. Completed

    PACFaHPartnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health (PACFaH)

    Kaduna’s health allocation rose from 7.37% in 2014 to 11.4% in 2017.Funders PACFaH coalitionWhere National, Kaduna, Niger, NasarawaView project page
  2. CompletedPeriod: August 2015 to December 2016

    MPTFMulti-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF) Project

    Established CS-SUNN and its Local Working Groups; met all five project outcomes.1 year, 4 monthsFunders SUN Movement Multi-Partner Trust Fund, through UNICEFWhere Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Delta, Enugu, Gombe, Kebbi, Kwara, Lagos, Sokoto and the FCTView project page
  3. CompletedPeriod: 2018 to 2021

    PINNS 1.0PINNS 1.0: Partnership for Improving Nigeria Nutrition Systems

    National nutrition plan of action launched; Lagos domestic nutrition budget up 500%+ (2017–2020).3 yearsFunders Gates Foundation (INV-009867)Where Kaduna, Kano, Lagos, Nasarawa, NigerView project page
  4. CompletedPeriod: January 2020 to June 2021

    SUN Pooled Fund IISUN Movement Pooled Fund Window II

    Strengthened multi-stakeholder platforms and community maternal and child nutrition.1 year, 5 monthsFunders SUN Movement Secretariat, through UNOPSWhere Enugu, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, OyoView project page
  5. CompletedPeriod: COVID-19 response period

    COVID-19 AssessmentCOVID-19 Food and Nutrition Security Assessment

    Household survey of how the pandemic affected food and nutrition security, with a recovery roadmap.Where Enugu, Kano, OyoView project page
  6. CompletedPeriod: October 2021 to January 2025

    PINNS 2.0PINNS 2.0: Partnership for Improved Nigerian Nutrition System

    Nutrition budget allocations rose in all five focal states; 27 State Houses formed nutrition committees; the Performance Management System was digitised.3 years, 3 monthsFunders Gates Foundation (INV-035368)Where Kaduna, Kano, Lagos, Nasarawa, NigerView project page
  7. CompletedPeriod: December 2022 to September 2023

    WGNWomen and Girls’ Nutrition (WGN)

    Nigeria’s first national coalition on women and girls’ nutrition; five months’ maternity leave secured in Nasarawa.9 monthsFunders Gates Foundation, via FHI SolutionsWhere National, with state engagementView project page
  8. CompletedPeriod: October 2023 to May 2026

    Increased Investment in NutritionIncreased Investment in Nutrition to Scale Up Quality Nutrition Services

    Katsina State’s ₦504m Child Nutrition Fund fully cash-backed; Zamfara approved over ₦1.1bn.2 years, 7 monthsFunders UNICEF, Nutrition International, Alive & ThriveWhere Adamawa, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Enugu, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Lagos, Niger, Oyo, Sokoto, Yobe, ZamfaraView project page
  9. CompletedPeriod: May to December 2024

    YL4NYouth Leaders for Nutrition (YL4N)

    Nigeria’s first SUN Civil Society Youth Network: 110+ advocates and 12 state team leaders.7 monthsFunders SUN Civil Society Network, Irish Aid, Swiss Agency for Development and CooperationWhere Bauchi, Cross River, Enugu, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Oyo, with structures in all six zonesView project page
  10. Completed

    Dimagi CCC-CHCDimagi CommCare Connect Child Health Campaign

    Door-to-door child health and nutrition services for children aged 0–59 months, tracked digitally.Funders Dimagi (technical partner)Where Bauchi, Jigawa, Katsina, Sokoto, ZamfaraView project page
  11. CompletedPeriod: December 2024 to October 2025

    TPACThird-Party Advocacy Campaign (TPAC)

    Advocacy for large-scale food fortification and phasing out unbranded bulk edible oil.10 monthsFunders Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)Where Lagos, Kano, AbiaView project page
  12. OngoingPeriod: 2025 to date

    PINNS 3.0PINNS 3.0: Partnership for Improving Nigeria Nutrition Systems

    MMS added to the national antenatal care guideline; Kano committed to free MMS in all public facilities.Running since 2025Funders Gates Foundation, Results for Development (R4D), World Bank, Irish AidWhere Kaduna, Kano, Lagos, Nasarawa, NigerView project page
  13. CompletedPeriod: March-August 2026

    T-LAMPTransparent Lifeline Against Malnutrition (T-LAMP)

    All 20 children in the Kwali pilot survived, and 16 of them (80%) either fully recovered or moved out of severe malnutrition.Where Kwali Primary Health Care CentreView project page

Latest evidence

Research and policy resources

Studies, policy briefs, budget analyses and scorecards — searchable by theme, state and year.

Membership

Join a national movement for nutrition

Registered civil society organisations working on nutrition, health, agriculture, gender, youth or governance can join the alliance in three steps.

  • Influence nutrition policy and budgets at national and state level
  • Training, peer learning and technical tools for your team
  • Partnerships, consortia and joint resource mobilisation
  • A verified listing in the public member directory

Registration

₦10,000

Annual fee

₦10,000

Members

400+ CSOs

Young advocates, including a member with crutches, seated together and smiling

Youth advocates in the CS-SUNN network

CS-SUNN Academy

Learn nutrition advocacy at your own pace

Free online courses built from the CS-SUNN Advocacy and Leadership Manual (CALM), for member organisations, state teams and youth advocates.

Free

36 lessons

Self-paced

Nutrition, Advocacy and Leadership

Understand Nigeria’s nutrition landscape, plan advocacy campaigns, track budgets and lead coalitions for change.

Partners

Funding and technical partners behind our programmes

Get nutrition advocacy updates

New evidence, policy wins and events, about once a month. Unsubscribe at any time.

We send one email a month. Unsubscribe at any time.