Vice President Kashim Shettima has raised alarm over the scale of malnutrition in Nigeria, warning that the condition is depriving nearly 40 per cent of children under the age of five of their full physical and cognitive potential.
Speaking at the National Summit on Nutrition and Food Security held in Abuja, Shettima, who was represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President (Office of the Vice President), Senator Ibrahim Hadejia, described the situation as a national crisis that must be tackled urgently and collectively.
“It is a reminder of the burden that we bear — a malnutrition crisis that continues to rob nearly 40% of Nigerian children under five of their physical and cognitive potential.
“It is a reminder that food insecurity is not only about hunger. It is also about whether our people can afford, access, and accept the food that meets their nutritional needs.
“It is about the economy. It is about education. It is about the very building blocks of human capital that this nation so urgently needs,” he said.
The vice president announced that the federal government had launched the Nutrition 774 Initiative, a grassroots-focused programme aimed at addressing malnutrition in the country’s most neglected communities.
According to him, the initiative has been approved by the National Council on Nutrition, which he chairs.
He stated that President Bola Tinubu’s administration had repositioned nutrition as a core pillar of Nigeria’s national development agenda under the Renewed Hope 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,” Shettima noted.
He said the Nutrition 774 Strategic Board, a high-level governance body, has been inaugurated to oversee the implementation of the initiative. The board, according to him, includes legislators, civil society actors, and government technocrats.
“This is how we institutionalise accountability. This is how we end the season of rhetoric and usher in a season of results. In this quest, we are not alone.”
Shettima expressed appreciation to Nigeria’s development partners, including the World Bank, UNICEF, Médecins Sans Frontières, and Nutrition International, among others, for their support in strengthening community-based nutrition interventions.
He, however, called for better coordination and alignment among stakeholders to avoid fragmented efforts.
“The era of fragmented interventions is over. We can no longer afford parallel systems that dilute our collective strength. Nigeria needs one plan, one voice, one framework, and unified accountability. Anything less is a betrayal of the children who depend on us.”
The Vice President also lauded the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly for establishing a National Legislative Network on Nutrition and Food Security and replicating the committee across all 36 states — a development he described as “an unprecedented stride in legislative engagement.”
“Budgetary allocations for nutrition must be consistent, adequate, and safeguarded. Oversight functions must transcend audits. They must measure impact. Policies must not die in chambers. They must live in communities,” he stated.
