*Vice-President Kashim Shettima seeks continued collaboration between the Nigerian Government and Development Partners to boost nutrition sufficiency and combat hunger in the West African country

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

Nigerian Vice-President Kashim Shettima Tuesday, July 8, 2025, in Abuja, FCT, advocated continued collaboration between the Executive and Legislative arms of government at the Federal and state levels, to significantly reduce malnutrition and stop deaths caused by the condition, especially among children.

In this regard, Shettima, identified programmes, such as the N774 Initiative and the National Legislative Network on Nutrition and Food Security as sustainable routes through which the government could introduce and implement policies and laws to promote food security and combat malnutrition.

The N774 Initiative is a Federal Government programme targeted at revitalising and incentivising local action to improve food security, health, and nutrition in Nigeria.

The National Legislative Network on Nutrition and Food Security comprises the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, as well as the Chairpersons and Clerks of the Committee on Nutrition and Food Security in the 36 State Houses of Assembly.

The Vice-President spoke during the opening ceremony of the National Summit on Nutrition and Food Security, organised by the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security.

The Summit formed part of the House of Representatives鈥� Open Week, set aside to mark the 2nd Anniversary of the 10th House.

The summit has as its theme: 鈥淐urbing Malnutrition and Food Insecurity Through Effective Synergies鈥�.

Malnutrition depriving about 40 percent of children full physical, cognitive potential, says VP

Shettima, represented at the forum by Senator Ibrahim Hadejia, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President (Office of the Vice-President), averred that the government at all levels must take the challenge of malnutrition and its negative impact on the country seriously.

The Vice-President described as highly unacceptable the fact that malnutrition is depriving about 40 percent of Nigerian children under聽 age five of their full physical and cognitive potential.

鈥淭he (N774) Initiative is designed to have a direct impact in the most forgotten corners of our nation,鈥� Shettima said.

According to him, an urgent and coordinated action is needed to address Nigeria鈥檚 alarming nutrition crisis.

The Vice-President stated: 鈥淲e have witnessed the establishment of the National Legislative Network on Nutrition and Food Security and the replication of this committee across all 36 State Houses of Assembly.

“This is, without question, an unprecedented stride in our legislative engagement.

“Yet we must admit that the occasion that brings us here today is not a celebration.鈥�

He further noted: 鈥淚t is a reminder of the burden that we bear, a malnutrition crisis that continues to rob nearly 40 percent of Nigerian children under five of their physical and cognitive potential.

“It is a reminder that food insecurity is not only about hunger.”

Shettima as well explained: “It is also about whether our people can afford, access, and accept the food that meets their nutritional needs.

鈥淚t is about the economy. It is about education. It is about the very building blocks of human capital that this nation so urgently needs at this time of its development.”

On objectives of Nutrition 774 Initiative

The Vice-President stated: 鈥淏ut in the face of this adversity, we have chosen not to lament, but to lead. Under the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu, nutrition has been repositioned as a central pillar of our national development strategy.

“At the heart of this strategy lies the Nutrition 774 Initiative, our flagship grassroots framework designed not for elegance on paper, but for impact in the most forgotten corners of our nation.鈥�

He said: 鈥淲e are grateful to the World Bank for the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria programme, strengthening community-based nutrition systems in several states.

“We appreciate UNICEF and M茅decins Sans Fronti猫res for the community-based management of acute malnutrition CMAM program, reaching the most vulnerable with lifesaving interventions.”

The Nigerian Vice-President also noted: “We recognise the ICAM project by GAIN, which marries nutrition with climate-smart agriculture, and the Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation Programme, MMS, by Nutrition International, combating maternal anaemia and improving pregnancy outcomes.

鈥淭o all our other developmental partners, civil society actors, and private sector allies, we thank you.”

He further noted: “But let me say this clearly: the era of fragmented interventions is over.

“We can no longer afford parallel systems that dilute our collective strength.

鈥淚t is time to align. Align with Nutrition 774, align with the national strategy, and align with the urgency of our national purpose.”

VP asserted: “Nigeria needs one plan, one voice, one framework, and unified accountability. “Anything less is a betrayal of the children who depend on us. To our distinguished legislators, this is your call to leadership.

鈥淏udgetary allocations for nutrition must be consistent, adequate, and safeguarded.”

He equally averred: “Oversight functions must transcend audits. They must measure impact.

“Policies must not die in chambers. They must live in communities. And legislation must guarantee that nutrition financing is not a matter of charity, but that of justice.

“Let this summit not be remembered for its attendance, but for its resolve.”

Speaker Abbas: Nigeria has potential to become Africa鈥檚 food basket

In his address, Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Tajudeen Abbas, Chief Host of the summit and Speaker, House of Representatives,聽 highlighted the need for a multi-sectoral and collaborative approach in dealing with the malnutrition challenge.

Abbas said: 鈥淐redible estimates place the annual economic cost at 12.2 percent of Nigeria鈥檚 Gross National Income, approximately 56 billion Dollars, while post-harvest losses alone account for two billion Dollars each year.

“Such figures compel us to move beyond rhetoric to concrete, sustained interventions.”

He stated: 鈥淭o that end, the Committee is collaborating with stakeholders in all 36 States to transition from policy pronouncements to on-the-ground impact.

“Through capacity-building workshops and cross-sectoral consultations, we are addressing the root causes of malnutrition and strengthening the systems needed for rapid and effective response.”

The House Speaker also asserted: 鈥淣igeria has every potential to become Africa鈥檚 food basket.

“Our vast arable lands and resilient farming communities position us to lead on food production and nutrition.

“We are championing the mainstreaming of nutrition-sensitive programmes into federal and state budgets and advocating policy reforms to institutionalise robust oversight and accountability.”

Abbas further disclosed:

鈥淐urrently, before the National Assembly are two transformative legislative initiatives.

“The first proposes six months鈥� maternity leave for nursing mothers, in alignment with global best practice to support early childhood nutrition and maternal health.”

The Speaker stated: 鈥淭he second aims to eradicate the unsafe sale of edible bulk oil in open markets, a practice that undermines public health and safety.

“Both measures are rooted in our commitment to protect the most vulnerable and invest in the nation鈥檚 future.鈥�

Earlier, in his welcome address, Hon. Chike Okafor, Chairman of the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, listed the negative effects of malnutrition, from the impact on health, such as stunting, low birth weight, anaemia in children, adolescent girls and women, to the economic cost on the country.

Okafor said: 鈥淭he cost of inaction on these parameters on Nigeria鈥檚 economy is aggregated to about 12.2 percent of the Country鈥檚 Gross National Income, about $56 billion, based on data from Nutrition International and the World Bank.

Essence of strategic capacity-building sessions

The Chairman of the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security also noted: 鈥淔ood insecurity has been aggravated by post-harvest loss, estimated at $2 billion by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) yearly.

“This colossal loss alone is more than the Nutrition budget of the Ministries of Agriculture, Health, Education and Women Affairs put together.”

He further explained: 鈥淭his continued loss is not only unacceptable, but unsustainable given the austere times in which we currently live.

“On the above premise, my committee is working with those in the 36 states of the Federation to do things differently.鈥�

The Nigerian House of Representatives, he said, is undertaking strategic capacity-building sessions to have a better understanding of the root and dynamics of current nutrition and food security challenges in Nigeria.

Okafor expressed hope that the capacity-building sessions are institutionalised in partnership with the National Institute of Democratic and Legislative Studies, with support from the “ever-helpful development partners”.

The Committee Chairman noted: 鈥淭his will put us in a better position to provide strategic oversight to all nutrition and food-related interventions and implementing partners, including but not limited to the UN family, the World Bank, International and National NGOs, and of course, the government at Federal, State and Local Government levels.

“By doing so, we will not only have more money for nutrition, but also more nutrition for the available money.”

He declared that “we cannot continue to impose multiple levies on long articulated vehicles carrying food from one part of Nigeria to another, and expect food inflation to reduce.

“This is why the new Nigeria Tax Administration Act 2025 (NTAA), which introduces a unified procedural framework for the assessment, collection, enforcement and administration of taxes across all levels of government, is a welcome development.”

Okafor averred: “The President, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, deserves our commendation for this bold initiative.

鈥淲e now need proper sensitisation on the benefits of this tax law, which in the next couple of months will be reflecting on nutrition and food security and the Nigerian economy generally.”

He, however, said: “We cannot continue to allow Development Partners to implement and oversee themselves on nutrition interventions, and expect better transparency and value for money.

鈥淲e cannot continue to borrow huge sums of money from multilateral institutions for nutrition interventions, and we don鈥檛 have a say as to how taxpayers鈥� money will be best spent, or ask questions if there are, to prevent infractions.”

The Chairman of the Committee asserted: “We cannot continue to allow LGAs to invest in nutrition and food security outside the existing national guidelines and frameworks, without recourse to legislative oversight at state and local government levels.

鈥淲e cannot continue to fold our hands and our harvested food products rot away due to poor market access, or lack of access to the farmlands due to local insecurity.

“The time for action should have been yesterday, not now.聽 But it is still not too late to act now.鈥�

Okafor, therefore, commended development partners, including UNICEF, Nutrition International (NI), World Food Programme, CSUNN, Food and Agriculture Organisation, FAO, Gates Foundation, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) Hellen Keller International, FHI-360, on their commitment to improving nutrition and overall health outcomes in Nigeria.

He noted: “The development partners have been very supportive of the activities of this committee/the network from day one. Kindly join me in appreciating them sir.

“Notable among them are UNICEF, World Food Programme, CSUNN, Food and Agriculture Organisation, FAO, Gates Foundation, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, GAIN, Hellen Keller International, FHI-360, and Nutrition International among others.”

Okafor stated: 鈥淚 also want to place on record the support to our work from inception from the relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), notably Budget and Economic Planning, Agriculture and Food Security, Health and Social Welfare among others.

鈥淲orking together, we will change the narrative under the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President for a better nourished and food secured Nigeria.”

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