ADB President Says Implementation of Ethiopia’s Seqota Declaration Model for Other Nations

Addis Ababa September 24/2022/ENA/ The African Development Bank (ADB) President, Akinwumi Adesina said Ethiopia’s implementation of Seqota Declaration is a model for other countries.

It is to be recalled that in 2015, the Government of Ethiopia made a high level fifteen-year commitment to end stunting in children under two years by 2030.

This commitment, known as the Seqota Declaration, is being implemented through a multi-sectoral program involving nine different sector ministries.  

The Ethiopian government and ADB hosted a high-level presidential dialogue on nutrition to encourage collective action by African leaders to end childhood stunting, boost human capital, and promote development while sharing Ethiopia’s experience in implementing the Seqota Declaration in New York.

During the occasion, ADB President, Akinwumi Adesina, said by banding together, “we can solve the issue of child stunting in Africa. This project will receive 4 billion USD from the bank.”

The president also praised Ethiopia's government for its success in putting the Seqota Declaration into practice, saying it “could serve as a model for other nations and that it would soon be implemented in six other African nations.”

The Sekota Declaration is assisting mothers and children in getting nourishing food, according to Demeke Mekonen, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and it will be fully implemented by 2030.

Additionally, he said that the declaration aims to end child stunting in the nation.

In order to ensure that the declaration serves its intended purpose, top management has been closely monitoring and supervising its implementation, according to Demeke.

Demeke further stated that more than 110 thousand children were saved in the Amhara and Tigray regions within six years of the implementation, citing a study conducted by the John Hopkins University on the program implementation.  

The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister outlined four crucial actions that improved the Sekota Declaration's outcomes: political leadership and budget allocation, financial and technical support from development partners, implementation of problem-solving techniques, and gender-based feedback.

By making nutrition a top national priority and establishing effective multi-sectoral nutrition programs in each of their respective nations, African Heads of State, the African Development Bank Group, the African Union mission to the United Nations, and partners pledged to invest in and accelerate progress toward ending stunting on the continent.

The meeting was by several government leaders including the president of Malawi, the vice president of Tanzania, the vice president of Uganda, and representatives from donor organizations.