Shettima Launches New Initiative to Address Nigeria’s Nutrition Crisis

Vice President Shettima has introduced a major initiative aimed at combating Nigeria’s growing nutrition crisis, focusing on food security and child health. Discover how this plan seeks to improve national well-being.

On Tuesday, Vice President Kashim Shettima announced that Nigeria is dedicated to tackling its increasing nutrition challenges by implementing a community-driven strategy aimed at transforming nutritional outcomes throughout all 774 Local Government Areas.

The Vice President made these remarks upon welcoming a senior delegation from the World Bank Group at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Shettima introduced the detailed N-774 Initiative, which expands upon the successful results achieved by the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria project.

Stanley Nkwocha, the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, disclosed details of the meeting in a statement he signed on Tuesday. The statement was titled “VP Shettima Pursues Grassroots Solutions to National Nutrition Challenges.”

This followed the World Bank’s praise for the strategic framework of the N-774 initiative, highlighting it as a possible model for addressing malnutrition both in the country and throughout the region.

The Vice President recognized the World Bank’s support for various nutrition programs throughout Nigeria and pointed out that the N-774 initiative is particularly timely given the conclusion of the ANRiN project.

He stated that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration is leading a transformational change in nutrition programs by implementing solutions developed locally.

The N-774 Initiative embodies our dedication to community-led development and achieving sustainable nutrition outcomes.

The Vice President elaborated that the N-774 Initiative is a community-focused and localized approach designed to address the specific needs of each Local Government Area. It seeks to deliver nutrition interventions directly within communities, while promoting local ownership and ensuring long-term sustainability.

“Malnutrition is an issue in Nigeria that requires a solution tailored to the country, and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is fully prepared to back such efforts,” he stated. He further mentioned that the project incorporates nutrition objectives within the education, agriculture, health, and social protection sectors.

READ ALSO: Tinubu Overrules Shettima-led NEC, Pushes for Immediate Tax Reform Bills

Regarding the project’s implementation strategy, Shettima emphasized the importance of utilizing the present political momentum to improve the country’s poor nutrition indicators.

The Renewed Hope Administration is dedicated to achieving quick and significant outcomes through this innovative method of nutrition intervention.

The Vice President expressed confidence that through ongoing collaboration between federal and subnational governments, along with international partners, this initiative will lead to substantial enhancements in community health outcomes.

The World Bank delegation, comprising the Country Director, Regional Director for West and Central Africa, and the Practice Manager for Health Global Practice, is strongly dedicated to adopting a bottom-up approach in tackling nutrition challenges through this initiative.

Ndiame Diop, the World Bank’s Country Director, expressed gratitude to the Vice President for his leadership in orchestrating collaboration among various stakeholders to prioritize nutrition issues in public discussions.

He emphasized the importance of observing the Nigerian government’s continuous support for nutrition funding. At the same time, he announced that the bank has allocated $50 million to the ANRiN 2.0 program, which functions as a crisis response mechanism.

Trina Haque, the Practice Manager for Health, Nutrition and Population at the World Bank, emphasized the importance of providing nutrition education to children and adolescents, highlighting its crucial role in early child development.