The Federal Government (FG) has taken a major step to tackle Nigeria’s growing malnutrition crisis with the inauguration of the Strategic Board of the Nutrition 774 Initiative by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony held yesterday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Mr Shettima described the newly formed board as a ‘war room’ tasked with winning the battle against malnutrition across the country’s 774 local government areas.
“This Strategic Board is not a ceremonial committee; it is a war room, assembled to win the battle against malnutrition in every corner of this country,” he declared.
He emphasised the urgency of the assignment, warning that malnutrition is a national emergency with dire implications for public health, productivity, and national security.
“This is not a tea-drinking exercise. This is a national call to duty. A race against time. A mission to save lives and safeguard our future,” the Mr Shettima said, urging board members to treat their appointments with utmost seriousness.
The Nutrition 774 Initiative, according to Mr Shettima, is a bold response by the Tinubu administration to what he called ‘a quiet emergency’ affecting families, schools, health centres, and internally displaced persons (IDP) camps nationwide.
“A nation that neglects the physiological needs of its people, particularly the most vulnerable, flirts with instability,” he warned.
“A malnourished population is an unproductive one, and an unproductive population drags down the wheels of progress.”
Mr Shettima said the initiative aims to harmonise fragmented nutrition efforts, reduce duplication, and foster a unified framework for action and measurable impact.
More so, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, lauded Shettima’s leadership on the issue, saying: “There are issues that ministries and the entire MDAs ought to deal with, but you have elevated them under your supervision. It’s commendable, and we pray that God continues to protect and reward you.”
Mr Bagudu linked Mr Shettima’s commitment to his personal experience of conflict and food insecurity in Borno State, noting that his leadership on nutrition and food security stems from ‘a reckoning with history.’
Also speaking, the Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Sulaiman-Ibrahim, called for the economic empowerment of women and households headed by children, particularly in areas affected by conflict.
“In homes headed by eleven-year-olds because both parents have been lost, how do they feed? This is an economic issue, and we have to come out strongly. As part of this plan, I would like you to address the economic empowerment of women,” she said.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, Chike Okafor, assured that the National Assembly is fully backing the Nutrition 774 initiative, pledging legislative support to ensure its success.
“This initiative is about taking solutions to the grassroots. You have all the legislative support necessary, and we will ensure everything needed is done,” Okafor said.
Earlier, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Health (Office of the Vice President), Uju Anwuka, described the malnutrition crisis as a threat to human capital development, saying the initiative aligns with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
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“By addressing malnutrition, the initiative will strengthen educational outcomes, productivity, and health equity across Nigeria,” she said, adding that strong leadership, strategic partnerships, and community involvement will be key to achieving its objectives.
The Nutrition 774 Initiative is expected to mobilise national, state, and local efforts to combat malnutrition and improve the health and productivity of Nigerians—particularly the most vulnerable.
