Vice President Kashim Shettima has called for accelerated work on a National Food and Nutrition Bill to protect nutrition funding, strengthen accountability and ensure that interventions to tackle malnutrition continue beyond successive administrations.
Shettima made the call on Wednesday at the Nigeria-Ethiopia Nutrition Leadership Exchange Forum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he said the proposed legislation would provide stronger backing for the Federal Government’s nutrition programmes, including the Nutrition 774 Initiative.
Shettima Seeks Stronger Legislative Backing for Nutrition
According to a statement by his spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima said Nigeria’s National Policy on Food and Nutrition 2026–2035 had set targets to reduce the country’s stunting rate to 32 per cent by 2029, 28 per cent by 2032 and 25 per cent by 2035.
He noted that nutrition committees had already been established in 32 state Houses of Assembly and more than 450 local governments, creating a foundation for stronger legislative and institutional action.
“We are convinced that, with nutrition committees in 32 state assemblies, there is no better time for us to accelerate the development of a National Food and Nutrition Bill and the advancement of a federal, state and local compact to protect financing and enforce accountability beyond administrations,” Shettima said.
The Vice President said the proposed legislation would complement the Nutrition 774 Initiative, which brings together the federal, state and local governments in a coordinated response to malnutrition.
He explained that local government areas would serve as the main units for planning, financing and accountability, with interventions covering health, agriculture, social protection, water, sanitation, hygiene and education.
Nigeria Unlocks $52m for Child Nutrition
Shettima also disclosed that Nigeria’s $26 million commitment to the Child Nutrition Fund had attracted matching support, bringing the total funding unlocked to $52 million.
He added that 21 states had contributed $6.3 million since 2023 towards supplies for the prevention and treatment of malnutrition.
The Vice President said the proposed Presidential Nutrition Investment Fund would provide catalytic financing, while the Nutrition Financing Subcommittee would work to mobilise additional domestic resources.
He stressed that government spending on nutrition must translate into measurable improvements in the lives of children.
“We can only claim that our budget fulfils its purpose when it nourishes a child,” Shettima said.
Government Targets Malnutrition
Shettima said the urgency of tackling malnutrition was highlighted by the estimated 40 per cent stunting rate among Nigerian children under five and the reported annual economic cost of $56 billion linked to undernutrition.
He said the government was strengthening systems that connect public expenditure with measurable nutrition outcomes through scorecards and improved domestic financing.
The Federal Government is also engaging food vendors, small and medium-sized enterprises, manufacturers, financiers and regulators under its Private Sector Engagement Framework to improve access to affordable and nutritious food.
Shettima said efforts were also underway to strengthen compliance with food fortification requirements covering salt, flour, edible oil and sugar.
Nigeria, Ethiopia Deepen Nutrition Cooperation
The forum also provided an opportunity for Nigeria and Ethiopia to share experiences on tackling child malnutrition.
Ethiopia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Temesgen Tiruneh, said food and nutrition had been placed at the centre of his country’s development agenda, stressing the importance of sustained political leadership, financing and accountability.
Ethiopia’s Minister of Health, Dr Mekdes Daba, highlighted the country’s Seqota Declaration, a national commitment aimed at ending child stunting by 2030.
She said malnutrition affects more than children’s physical growth, noting its potential consequences for brain development, education, future earnings and economic productivity.
Daba emphasised the importance of investing in the first 1,000 days of a child’s life and said tackling malnutrition requires coordinated action across multiple sectors.
Members of the Nigerian delegation, including governors and ministers, pledged to strengthen the country’s nutrition value chain through increased investment in technology, financing, education and food systems.
Shettima, Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister Discuss Bilateral Ties
On the sidelines of the forum, Shettima and Tiruneh also held a bilateral meeting to discuss Nigeria-Ethiopia relations and opportunities for increased cooperation in trade, investment, food security, aviation and security.
Tiruneh welcomed progress on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons Agreement between both countries and called for the convening of the Nigeria-Ethiopia Joint Commission.
Shettima reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening bilateral ties with Ethiopia, particularly in investment, agriculture, economic development and security.
He also called for greater intra-African investment under the African Continental Free Trade Area, saying Nigeria and Ethiopia have important roles to play in advancing Africa’s development.
