FG Pursues Grassroots Solutions To National Nutrition Challenges

The Federal government has said efforts are on to address the country’s nutritional challenges through grassroots solutions.

The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, said Nigeria’s commitment to addressing its growing nutrition challenges through a community-driven strategy is aimed at transforming nutrition outcomes across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas (LGAs).

Speaking during a meeting with a high-level delegation from the World Bank Group at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday, Shettima presented the comprehensive N-774 Initiative, which builds on successful outcomes from the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria project.

While acknowledging the support of the World Bank on numerous nutrition programmes across Nigeria, he noted that the N-774 initiative comes at a crucial time considering the ANRiN project closeout.

“The administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is pioneering a paradigm shift in nutrition programmes through locally owned solutions. The N-774 Initiative represents our commitment to community-driven development and sustainable nutrition outcomes,” he said.

The Vice President explained that the “N-774 Initiative is a localized, community-driven solution tailored towards the unique needs of each LGA and aims to bring nutrition interventions directly to communities while encouraging local ownership and ensuring sustainability“.

“Malnutrition is a Nigerian problem that needs a Nigerian solution and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is very much willing to support such an initiative,” he noted.

He explained that the project integrates nutrition goals across education, agriculture, health and social protection sectors.

On the project implementation strategy, Senator Shettima stated that it was important to leverage current political will to reverse the country’s negative nutrition indicators.

“The Renewed Hope Administration is committed to swift, impactful results through this innovative approach to nutrition intervention.

“With sustained collaboration between the federal and subnational governments, and international partners, we are confident this initiative will yield significant improvements in our community health outcomes,” his spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha quoted him.

Speaking, the Country Director of the World Bank, Ndiame Diop, thanked the Vice President for his leadership in coordinating multi-stakeholder collaboration in setting agenda on nutrition issues in public discourses.

He added that it is important to see Nigeria’s government’s ongoing financing for nutrition, just as he announced that the bank has earmarked $50 million under ANRiN 2.0 programme which is a crisis response window.

Also, the Practice Manager for Health, Nutrition and Population at the World Bank, Trina Haque, said there is a need for nutrition education for children and adolescents as it important for early child development.