Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has declared that it was time to move beyond talk and take decisive action to end malnutrition in Nigeria, directing members of the National Council on Nutrition (NCN), Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and other stakeholders to adopt a multisectoral approach to the ongoing efforts.
According to him, malnutrition is a crisis that threatens the nation’s security and economic productivity, and without tangible results, discussions, committees, and even the Council itself would amount to nothing more than an exercise in futility.
According to a release by his spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima, who spoke on Wednesday during a virtual meeting of NCN at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, said beyond statistics, nutritional deficiencies were a palpable reality.
“We are dealing with a crisis that threatens both our national security and economic productivity. Malnutrition is not just a health issue; it is a silent emergency that affects cognitive development, weakens our workforce, and slows down the engine of national growth.
“This is why we must approach it with the urgency it deserves. This is why we must champion a multisectoral response that brings together our MDAs, development partners, and the private sector in a coordinated quest for lasting solutions,” the Vice President stated.
He however acknowledged the importance of data and statistics in tackling malnutrition, maintaining that whatever policies or programmes that were prioritised “must be guided by practical, evidence-based assessments.
“We must empower the institutions responsible for food and nutrition governance to deliver on their mandates, and this Council must take the lead in ensuring that our efforts are strategic, data-driven, and results-oriented.
“The interventions rolled out under the leadership of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, are products of careful analysis and informed decision-making. We have the Nutrition 774 Initiative, a grassroots-driven programme designed to institutionalise nutrition at the local government level, ensuring that no community is left behind,” he added.
Shettima emphasised the need for the government to take the lead in meeting the funding requirements, saying the success of any intervention could not be guaranteed unless it was financially spearheaded by the government.
“Nigeria’s demographic size makes us a focal point of global concern, and our efforts are part of a broader international campaign to end malnutrition. However, global commitments mean nothing if they are not translated into domestic accountability. The world is watching us, but more importantly, the Nigerian people are counting on us,” he said.
Earlier, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, said the purpose of the meeting was to scale up actions on issues concerning food and nutrition in the country.
“This council is a platform for marking up, assessing and driving forward the national agenda on the nutritional health and well-being of our people. It also marks a pivotal checkpoint in our national efforts to address challenges in improving food and nutrition across all sectors, promote better health outcomes and strengthen collaboration,” he said.
Also, Secretary to the Council and Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Dr. Emeka Vitalis Obi, said the meeting deliberated on significant milestones in Nigeria’s effort to address malnutrition and food security in Nigeria.
Obi said, “The multifaceted nature and complexity of the challenges of nutrition require a multisectoral and multidisciplinary approach involving all stakeholders at both the national and subnational levels of government with the support of development partners and stakeholders”.
On the update on the activation of the National Nutrition Dashboard, the council resolved to keep the dashboard running online.
