Leaders in Western and Central Africa and Partners Call for Stronger Action on Nutrition and Early Childhood Development

LOME, May 15, 2026 - Ministers and senior government representatives from across Western and Central Africa joined development partners and civil society leaders in Lome this week to advance stronger action and increased investments in nutrition and early childhood development across the region.

Africa's potential for human capital development and economic growth is severely undermined by inadequate progress in improving maternal nutrition and early childhood development. Malnutrition robs children of their futures and compromises national productivity and economies. Although the prevalence of stunting in Western and Central Africa has fallen from 40% in 2000 to 33% in 2024, progress is still too slow. Based on these trends, the region will fall short of the global nutrition targets of reducing stunting by 40% by 2030.

"The Government of Togo has made nutrition and early childhood development a priority for action-not just a commitment. We acted, invested, and innovated," said Martine Moni Sankaredja, Minister of Solidarity, Gender, Family and Child Protection of the Republic of Togo. "While challenges remain, we are determined to learn from our neighbors and share our experience."

Investments in the early years of life-from pregnancy through age five-generate some of the highest economic and social returns. Such investments are critical to breaking intergenerational cycles of poverty, vulnerability, and inequality. Yet participants stressed that progress remains uneven across and within countries in the region, with persistent disparities linked to poverty, geography, gender, and contexts affected by fragility, conflict, and displacement.

"The evidence is clear: investing in nutrition and early childhood development is among the most cost-effective investments a country can make to strengthen human capital, drive growth, and secure long-term stability. UNICEF's 2026-2029 Strategic Plan calls for a renewed focus on high-impact interventions-scaling what works and delivering concrete, measurable results for children," said Gordon Jonathan Lewis, UNICEF Deputy Regional Director for West and Central Africa.

The conference highlighted the need for sustained political leadership at all levels and stronger country systems to deliver quality services at scale. Participants called for coordinated policies and action across sectors-including health, agriculture and nutrition, education, water and sanitation, and social protection-to improve outcomes for young children and ensure no child is left behind.

"For the World Bank Group, investing in human capital from birth is the foundation for sustainable and inclusive growth. Well-nourished children learn better, become more productive workers and support more competitive economies that attract private investment and create quality jobs," added Tony Verheijen, World Bank Group Country Manager for Togo.

In a joint call to action endorsed at the meeting, the ministers and heads of delegation committed to strengthening the policy and institutional environment needed to improve early childhood outcomes by elevating nutrition and early childhood development as national priorities within human capital and economic growth agendas. They urged governments to increase and sustain investments in nutrition and early childhood through stronger domestic resource mobilization, exploring innovative financing approaches that support delivery at scale, and better alignment of national and subnational budgets. They further committed to strengthening and supporting workforce capacity and job creation for women and youth, alongside improving the efficiency and sustainability of financing by linking budgets more closely to results and enhancing value for money, while ensuring that children and caregivers benefit from a coherent and continuous package of services across key life stages-from pregnancy and birth to ages 0-5.

The Lome Conference, organized by the World Bank Group and hosted by the Government of Togo, was co-organized and supported by key partners including the Global Financing Facility, UNICEF, the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement, WHO, WFP, AfECN, ECDAN, and UNESCO.

The Nutrition and Early Years Advisory Group (NEYAG), jointly established by the World Bank Group and UNICEF, serves as a strategic umbrella for the Lome Conference, providing high-level guidance, coordination, and thought leadership to advance a coherent, multisectoral agenda for nutrition and early childhood development across the region.