Vice President Kashim Shettima has announced the Nigerian government’s commitment to establishing nutrition departments within designated ministries and increasing funding for nutrition activities. This move aims to expedite the implementation of nutrition-related interventions across the country.
During a meeting with members of the Nutrition Core Working Committee at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday, the Vice President pledged to address critical challenges highlighted by the committee. He emphasised the importance of establishing nutrition departments in ministries such as Water Resources and Sanitation, Science and Technology, Budget and Economic Planning, Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Information and National Orientation, Education, and Women Affairs.
Furthermore, Vice President Shettima assured the committee of prioritising nutrition initiatives, including the development of a dashboard in his office to monitor stakeholders’ activities in the sector. He stressed the significance of financing and advocacy in addressing nutrition issues, urging stakeholders to set ambitious targets and engage the private sector in advocacy campaigns.
Regarding funding, the Vice President encouraged state governments to participate in the UNICEF matching fund programme for scaling up nutrition activities, highlighting the importance of sub-national commitment to attract private sector support.
Uju Rochas-Anwukah, Special Assistant to the President on Public Health, expressed gratitude to the Vice President for championing nutrition activities and stressed the importance of grassroots engagement in nutrition initiatives. She outlined the committee’s action plan, which focused on decentralised coordination, accountability, financing, prioritisation, and scaling up of nutrition interventions.
Dr. Ahmad Abdulwahab, Senior Health Advisor at the Nigerian Governors Forum Secretariat, commended Vice President Shettima’s leadership in driving nutrition interventions, particularly in mobilising sub-national participation. He endorsed the implementation of the Strategic Roadmap for Transformative Nutrition and Food Security in Nigeria to address scaling-up challenges effectively.