Shettima Announces Plan for National Food and Nutrition Bill
Vice President Kashim Shettima has announced plans to accelerate work on a National Food and Nutrition Bill aimed at strengthening funding, accountability and continuity in Nigeria’s efforts to tackle malnutrition.
Shettima made the announcement on Wednesday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, during the Nigeria-Ethiopia Nutrition Leadership Exchange Forum.
He said the proposed legislation would help safeguard nutrition financing and ensure that interventions are sustained across successive administrations, while strengthening the Federal Government’s Nutrition 774 Initiative.
The Vice President further called for stronger coordination among the federal, state and local governments, with the response to malnutrition driven from the community level.
He noted that Nigeria’s National Policy on Food and Nutrition 2026–2035 has set targets to bring the country’s stunting rate down to 32 per cent by 2029, 28 per cent by 2032 and 25 per cent by 2035.
The Nigerian delegation at the forum included Jigawa State Governor Umar Namadi, Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke and Abia State Governor Alex Otti.
Also present were Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare Muhammad 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 Maruf Tunji Alausa.
Others included the Director-General of NEMA, Zubaida Abubakar Umar; Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of NPHCDA, Dr Muyi Aina; Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Health and Focal Person on Nutrition, Uju Vanstasia Rochas-Anwukah; and ALGON National President, Bello Lawal.
Enjoyed this? Get the morning brief.
News from Nigeria and Africa, in one free email every day.
