Precious Nwonu, Enugu

The Federal Government is set to accelerate the development of a National Food and Nutrition Bill aimed at securing sustainable funding for nutrition programmes and ensuring accountability beyond individual administrations.

Vice President Kashim Shettima disclosed this on Wednesday at the Nigeria-Ethiopia Nutrition Leadership Exchange Forum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

According to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima said the proposed legislation would strengthen the government’s Nutrition 774 Initiative and promote coordinated action among the federal, state and local governments.

He said the initiative would establish a stronger framework for tackling malnutrition from the community level while protecting nutrition financing and ensuring that governments remain accountable for results.

Shettima noted that nutrition committees had been established in 32 state Houses of Assembly and more than 450 local government areas, creating an opportunity to advance the proposed legislation.

The Vice President disclosed that Nigeria’s $26m contribution to the Child Nutrition Fund had attracted an equivalent matching contribution, bringing the total to $52m.

He added that 21 states had contributed $6.3m since 2023 towards the procurement of supplies for the prevention and treatment of malnutrition.

Shettima said the proposed Presidential Nutrition Investment Fund would provide additional financing, while the Nutrition Financing Subcommittee was working to mobilise more domestic resources.

He stressed that government spending should produce measurable improvements in children’s nutritional well-being.

The Vice President said Nigeria’s National Policy on Food and Nutrition 2026–2035 targets a reduction in the national stunting rate from its current level to 32 per cent by 2029, 28 per cent by 2032 and 25 per cent by 2035.

He said the scale of the challenge remained significant, noting that about 40 per cent of Nigerian children under five were stunted, while undernutrition was estimated to cost the economy $56bn annually.

Shettima said the Nutrition 774 Initiative was designed to coordinate interventions across health, agriculture, social protection, water, sanitation, hygiene and education sectors.

He explained that local governments would serve as the main units for planning, financing and accountability under the initiative, with state and local government authorities expected to lead implementation.

The Federal Government, he added, was also working with food producers, small businesses, manufacturers, financiers and regulators to improve access to affordable and nutritious food.

Shettima said efforts were also underway to strengthen compliance with food fortification requirements covering salt, flour, edible oil and sugar.

He disclosed that Nigeria and Ethiopia would work towards a joint statement outlining continued cooperation in nutrition and related areas.

The Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister, Temesgen Tiruneh, said tackling malnutrition required sustained political commitment, adequate financing and effective accountability systems.

He disclosed that more than 100,000 Ethiopian children had benefited from efforts to combat malnutrition through community mobilisation and improvements in food quality.

Ethiopia’s Minister of Health, Dr Mekdes Daba, said the forum focused on child malnutrition and Ethiopia’s Seqota Declaration, which seeks to eliminate child stunting by 2030.

She stressed the importance of investing in the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, noting that poor nutrition could affect brain development, education, future earnings and economic growth.

The Nigerian delegation included governors Umar Namadi of Jigawa, Dauda Lawal of Zamfara, Ademola Adeleke of Osun and Alex Otti of Abia.

Also at the forum were the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Ali Pate; Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari; Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu; Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Joseph Utsev; and Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa.

On the sidelines of the forum, Shettima held a bilateral meeting with Tiruneh, during which both leaders discussed stronger cooperation in trade, investment, food security, aviation and security.

The Ethiopian deputy prime minister also expressed condolences to Nigeria over the recent Ondo military aircraft crash and reaffirmed Ethiopia’s commitment to strengthening its relationship with Nigeria.

Shettima said both countries should leverage their population, resources and strategic positions to promote economic development across Africa, particularly through increased intra-African investment and the African Continental Free Trade Area.