Vice President Kashim Shettima has unveiled the framework for the federal government’s comprehensive vision for a nationwide nutrition programme to address malnutrition and food insecurity in Nigeria.

The proposed programme, "Nutrition 774 Initiative," aims to improve nutritional outcomes across all 774 local government areas (LGAs) in the country.

Speaking on Tuesday during a roundtable with development partners at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, VP Shettima said the initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's broader focus on food security and availability across Nigeria.

It would be recalled that the 144th meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) had in September endorsed the Nutrition 774 programme as a primary platform for combating malnutrition within Nigerian communities.

The Council encouraged development partners to provide financial and technical assistance to support this initiative.

Speaking at the roundtable with development partners, the Vice President urged the development partners to support the proposed initiative, recognizing the crucial role of collaboration in addressing the nation's nutritional challenges.

VP Shettima explained that the proposed Nutrition 774 Initiative adopts a grassroots-driven approach, empowering local actors to take charge of nutritional improvements in their communities as well as investment in local capacity through the training of health workers and community leaders.

Earlier, the Coordinating Minister of Health & Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, described the initiative under the National Council on Nutrition as very crucial in addressing the challenging situation of acute, sub-acute and chronic malnutrition, especially among vulnerable populations at the grassroots.

On their part, the representatives of development partners present at the meeting pledged their unalloyed support for the nutrition programme, commending the federal government for the initiative, even as they underscored its commitment towards scaling up nutrition across the country.

Specifically, the Director General for Nigeria, African Development Bank, Mr Abdul Kamara, said the bank was pleased to be part of the federal government’s initiative to address malnutrition and hunger, stating that the initiative is very timely, as nutrition features prominently in AfDB’s programming and support across the continent.

He said the bank is committed, in the medium and long term, to supporting initiatives that promote health infrastructure and technical support for related programmes.

In the same vein, the World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Mr Ndiamé Diop, said the vision for the Nutrition 774 Grassroots Initiative is compelling, just as the diagnosis is right, with the framework aligning with global evidence in the sector.

Pledging the World Bank’s full support for the programme, the Country Director noted that the bank already has ongoing programmes that are fit-for-purpose in supporting the initiative.

On her part, USAID Mission Director in Nigeria, Melissa Jones, said the crisis of malnutrition exacerbated by natural disasters, among other challenges, would require bold leadership in the humanitarian assistance space for them to be addressed.