Abuja: The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to combat malnutrition and improve nutrition outcomes across all 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the country. Ibrahim Hassan-Hadejia, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President at the Office of the Vice President, made this statement at a two-day N-774 Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) validation meeting on Thursday in Abuja. The meeting was organised by the National Council on Nutrition (NCN).
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Hassan-Hadejia emphasised that the workshop aimed to ensure the effective implementation of the initiative, which sought to strengthen nutrition interventions at the grassroots level. He stated that under the leadership of Vice President Kashim Shettima, the initiative would drive coordinated action across key sectors, including health, agriculture, education, water and sanitation, and social protection.
“This initiative reflects our collective resolve to ensure that every Nigerian, especially our children, has access to the nutrition they need to survive, grow, and thrive,” he stated. The Deputy Chief of Staff described malnutrition as a silent crisis that threatened national development, calling for urgent, collaborative efforts to address the challenge.
Hassan-Hadejia reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to human capital development, emphasising that nutrition is a key priority in the administration’s development agenda. He stressed that the initiative required active participation from federal, state, and local governments, development partners, the private sector, civil society, academia, and the media.
Dr Chike Okafor, House of Representatives Committee Chairman on Nutrition and Food Security, highlighted that malnutrition and food insecurity have been exacerbated by inflation, climate change, and banditry. Okafor noted that the N-774 Initiative presented an opportunity for effective collaboration between the Executive and the Legislature.
Similarly, Bello Lawal, National President of the National Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), reiterated their commitment to ensure the success of the initiative. Lawal, represented by Abdurrahman Lawan, Chairman of ALGON in Jigawa State, noted that Jigawa had made progress in addressing malnutrition through its Masaki Nutrition Programme.
Uju Okorochas-Anwukah, Special Assistant to the President on Public Health and Nutrition, emphasised the need for more action to address malnutrition among vulnerable groups across all 774 LGAs. Dr Emeka Obi, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, added that the initiative aims to integrate nutrition into a broader economic and development planning framework.