By Chioma Obinna
A two-day strategic policy discourse on nutrition has ended in Lagos with strong calls for urgent legislative action, increased funding, and coordinated grassroots campaigns to combat Nigeria’s malnutrition crisis, especially in 10 high-burden states.
The event convened lawmakers, policymakers, development partners, and nutrition experts under the theme “Nutrition: Key to Health, Equity and Development in Nigeria.” Participants reviewed progress made since last year’s engagement and reached critical resolutions to address child undernutrition, poor maternal health, and hidden hunger.
Highlighting the link between nutrition and national development, experts emphasised that malnutrition is not only stunting children but shrinking Nigeria’s future. Data from the 2024 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) showed persistent stunting, wasting, and micronutrient deficiencies across focal states like Benue, Jigawa, Cross River, Sokoto, and Yobe.
“For every $1 invested in nutrition, up to $16 is returned in productivity gains,” they noted.
One of the strongest commitments came from Sokoto State, which pledged ?100 million to the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF) and $13 billion to primary healthcare centres in the 2026 budget. Other states like Cross River vowed 100 percent counterpart funding for CNF and institutional reforms, including a minimum 4 percent allocation of MDA budgets for nutrition. Jigawa lawmakers committed to contributing $10 million each annually to nutrition through constituency funds, while Katsina and Gombe pledged local production of nutrition commodities like RUTF and fortified “Tom Brown.”
A key policy push was the nationwide adoption of six-month paid maternity leave and the phasing out of unbranded bulk oil, both deemed critical to infant and maternal health. Legislators also agreed to create Nutrition Departments in relevant ministries, strengthen oversight, and ensure nutrition funding is backed by law, not goodwill.
Beyond policy, the discourse called for mass public education, with community leaders and the media urged to drive behaviour change through radio, town halls, and social media.
“Nutrition messaging must go beyond the clinics—it must reach markets, mosques, schools, and homes,” participants resolved.
The meeting urged state governments to align their 2026 budgets with their costed multisectoral nutrition plans and to prioritize nutrition as a matter of life, health, and national survival.
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