Nigerian govt unveils framework for national nutrition programme

Nigeria’s 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,” is aimed at improving nutritional outcomes across all 774 local government areas (LGAs) in the country.

While speaking on Tuesday at a roundtable with development partners at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, 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 stressed 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.

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.