The Ministry of Health of Ethiopia, with support from the Seqota Declaration Secretariat, UNICEF, and the Finance Capacity Development Platform (FCDP) for Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) countries, convened a two-day Validation Workshop for the National Food and Nutrition Financing Framework on 9–10 June 2026 in Addis Ababa.
The workshop brought together key government sectors- Health, Agriculture, Water and Energy, Women and Social Affairs, Finance, and Education, alongside development partners and other key stakeholders to review, refine, and formally endorse the National Food and Nutrition Financing Framework. The Framework was developed through an iterative, participatory process involving technical working group consultations and sector reviews, and provides a common understanding of the full resource need to end malnutrition in Ethiopia, alongside a set of priority actions to help the government meet the financing and governance commitments it made at the 2025 Paris Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit.
Key outcomes of the workshop
- Validation and endorsement of the National Food and Nutrition Financing Framework by all key government sectors and partners.
- Confirmation of a prioritized set of actions to sustainably finance food and nutrition, aligned with both government N4G commitments and the Food and Nutrition Strategy.
- Sector-specific action plans developed, identifying next steps, responsible parties, and timelines for implementation.
- Agreement on an approach for developing Regional Food and Nutrition Financing Plans.
- Early direction-setting for nutrition financing beyond 2030, including institutionalizing dedicated nutrition budget lines and strengthening data systems.
Key reflections from participants
- Nutrition financing cannot be siloed within a single sector. Broader ownership, clearer roles, and stronger accountability are needed across government.
- Domestic financing remains insufficient and requires sustained advocacy.
- Donor funding should be better aligned with sector priorities, with improved visibility of partners and resources to reduce duplication.
- The Framework should be embedded in existing government planning and budgeting cycles, including NBTT and regional planning processes
- Regional rollout will require early orientation, engagement of federal sectors from the outset, and use of existing technical committees.
With the Framework validated, the next phase of work will focus on cascading national guidance to the regional level through the development of costed Regional Food and Nutrition Investment Plans, building on the momentum, cross-sector ownership, and lessons generated during the workshop.
FCDP is a SUN Movement resource available to all 67 SUN Countries. The platform aims to transform the nutrition financing landscape by inspiring and igniting government leaders to elevate nutrition financing as a priority and accelerate impact across sectors.
