Nigerian govt unveils programme to address malnutrition, food insecurity

The proposed programme, "Nutrition 774 Initiative," aims to improve nutritional outcomes across all 774 local government areas (LGAs) in Nigeria.

*** *Seeks development partners’ support for Nutrition 774 Initiative to combat malnutrition*

Vice President Kashim Shettima has unveiled the framework for the federal government’s comprehensive vision for a nationwide nutrition programme to address malnutrition and food insecurity in Nigeria.

The proposed programme, “Nutrition 774 Initiative,” aims to improve nutritional outcomes across all 774 local government areas (LGAs) in the country.

Speaking on Tuesday during a roundtable with development partners at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, VP Shettima said the initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s broader focus on food security and availability across Nigeria.

“The priority with which His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has pursued food availability has gone hand-in-hand with our commitment to eradicating malnutrition.

“Our aspiration as a nation goes beyond the mere abundance of food in our barns and warehouses. We cannot claim victory unless there is certainty that each household across Nigeria has access to the preferred and prescribed diets essential for a healthy life,” the vice president stated.

It would be recalled that the 144th meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) had in September endorsed the Nutrition 774 programme as a primary platform for combating malnutrition within Nigerian communities.

The council encouraged development partners to provide financial and technical assistance to support this initiative.

Speaking at the roundtable with development partners on Tuesday, the vice president urged the development partners to support the proposed initiative, recognising the crucial role of collaboration in addressing the nation’s nutritional challenges.

“This initiative must be owned by our development partners just as much as it is by the government, for each of us is a stakeholder in the emergence of a healthy, stable Nigeria,” he said.

VP Shettima explained that the proposed Nutrition 774 Initiative adopts a grassroots-driven approach, empowering local actors to take charge of nutritional improvements in their communities as well as investment in local capacity through the training of health workers and community leaders.

“Nutrition 774 Initiative is an assurance to all Nigerians—young and old, single and married, from North to South. It assures us that balancing the diets of our nation is not just an aspiration but a mission we must pursue with purpose and passion,” he noted.

The vice president further noted that while Nigeria grapples with recent floods and global inflationary pressures affecting food security, “our response must not only be innovative, it must also address these challenges directly.

“Every Naira invested in the nourishment of our people yields returns many times over—not just in the health of our people, but in the security and future of our nation,” he added.

VP Shettima also stressed the importance of monitoring, emphasising that local government councils that have shown commitment, zeal and passion towards driving the process must be incentivized.

Earlier, the Coordinating Minister of Health & Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, described the initiative under the National Council on Nutrition as very crucial in addressing the challenging situation of acute, sub-acute and chronic malnutrition, especially among vulnerable populations at the grassroots.

Noting that it must be dealt with systemically, the minister said, “The approach under the leadership of the Vice President is to facilitate, taking into cognizance the national structure that we have – the federal government, state governments and local governments- and to bring in all the stakeholders to address the issue.

“It is necessary for us to get this done across sectors – Agriculture, Health, Water and Sanitation, and Social Protection – bringing all of them together to address this issue, otherwise we’ll just be passing the buck without addressing the challenge that we have.

“This will only be successful and sustainable if we forge a common direction as a strong collaborative partnership among the federal government across ministries and subnational entities, with local governments, with development partners, civil society organisations and the private sector. And I think the leadership of the Vice President in this council has enabled all these to come together as a central unit for us to proceed.”

On their part, the representatives of development partners present at the meeting pledged their unalloyed support for the nutrition programme, commending the federal government for the initiative, even as they underscored its commitment towards scaling up nutrition across the country.

Specifically, the Director General for Nigeria, African Development Bank, Abdul Kamara, said the bank was pleased to be part of the federal government’s initiative to address malnutrition and hunger, stating that the initiative is very timely, as nutrition features prominently in AfDB’s programming and support across the continent.

He said the bank is committed, in the medium and long term, to supporting initiatives that promote health infrastructure and technical support for related programmes.

In the same vein, the World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Mr Ndiamé Diop, said the vision for the Nutrition 774 Grassroots Initiative is compelling, just as the diagnosis is right, with the framework aligning with global evidence in the sector.

Pledging the World Bank’s full support for the programme, the Country Director noted that the bank already has ongoing programmes that are fit for purpose in supporting the initiative.

He emphasised the need for prompt mobilisation of finance across stakeholders in the private and public sectors to ensure the sustainability of the programme.

On her part, USAID Mission Director in Nigeria, Melissa Jones, said the crisis of malnutrition exacerbated by natural disasters, among other challenges, would require bold leadership in the humanitarian assistance space for them to be addressed.

Noting that USAID aligns with the values and objectives outlined in the Nutrition 774 Grassroots Initiative, she emphasised the need for stakeholders to synergise efforts and work as a group, even as she commended the government’s initiative in prioritising local government administration in the framework of the programme.

Also present at the meeting were the representatives of UNICEF, UK Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO), World Food Programme (WFO), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the European Union (EU), Aliko Dangote Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Islamic Development Bank, and Nutrition Angel, among others.

*Stanley Nkwocha*
*Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Communications*
*(Office of the Vice President)*