40% of Nigerian Children Under Five Affected by Malnutrition

…highlight grassroot strategy to improve nutrition nationwide

By Gloria Ikibah

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Vice President Kashim Shettima has raised concern over the widespread effects of undernutrition among Nigerian children, revealing that nearly four in ten children under the age of five are affected in ways that limit both physical growth and mental development.

In response, the Federal Government has launched the Nutrition 774 Initiative, a community-based effort designed to improve nutrition outcomes across all local government areas, especially in hard-to-reach and underserved regions.

Shettima who was represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President (Office of the Vice President), Senator Ibrahim Hadejia, stated this at the National Summit on Nutrition and Food Security, organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Nutrition and Food Security as part of the House’s Open Week activities.

The Vice President explained that under the Renewed Hope Agenda championed by President Bola Tinubu, nutrition has been prioritised as a key pillar of national development.

The Nutrition 774 Initiative, endorsed by the National Council on Nutrition, represents a shift toward more localized, transparent, and inclusive intervention strategies to combat malnutrition nationwide.

The Vice President, who is also the Chairman of the National Council on Nutrition, highlighted role of the initiative inmobilising political will, ensuring sustainable funding, enhancing collaboration across all levels of government, and promoting accountability.

He acknowledged the contributions of development partners, including the World Bank, UNICEF, Médecins Sans Frontières, GAIN, and Nutrition International, for their ongoing interventions in nutrition, but reiterated the need to move away from fragmented efforts towards a unified national strategy.

According to him, only alignment with a single framework, clear accountability, and collective action can ensure meaningful impact.

The Vice President also called for adequate and consistent budgetary allocations for nutrition, strengthened legislative oversight focused on outcomes, and the transformation of nutrition from a charitable concern to a matter of national justice.

Earlier in his remark, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Abbas Tajudeen, cautioned that malnutrition was costing Nigeria approximately 12.2 percent of its Gross National Income an estimated $56 billion annually, and post-harvest losses, account for an additional $2 billion per year, underscoring the need for urgent reforms.

Speaker Abbas said the Committee on Nutrition and Food Security is collaborating with all 36 states to move beyond policy declarations to on-the-ground implementation. This includes capacity-building and multi-sectoral consultations aimed at strengthening systemic responses to nutrition challenges.

He emphasised Nigeria’s potential to lead in food production across the continent, noting the importance of integrating nutrition-sensitive programs into federal and state budgets.

Abbas also raised concerns over multiple levies imposed on food transportation, which increase prices and contribute to food insecurity. Urging development partners to operate within transparent and accountable frameworks, and called for legislative oversight of external loans secured for nutrition programs.

On his part, Chairman Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, Rep. Chike Okafor, said malnutrition related health issues such as stunting, low birth weight, and anemia carry significant economic consequences.

He cited estimates from the World Bank and Nutrition International placing the economic cost at 12.2% of Nigeria’s Gross National Income, or about $56 billion.

Rep. Okafor noted that post-harvest food losses, estimated at $2 billion annually by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), surpass the combined nutrition budgets of the Ministries of Agriculture, Health, Education, and Women Affairs. These losses, he said, are unsustainable in the current economic climate.

To address these challenges, he said the committee is engaging stakeholders across the states and organizing strategic capacity-building sessions aimed at deepening legislative understanding of food and nutrition challenges.

Okafor proposed that such sessions be institutionalized through collaboration with the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies and development partners.

He stressed the need for enhanced oversight of all nutrition-related interventions by both local and international partners. The committee, he said, aims to ensure better utilization of funds, improved transparency, and alignment with national guidelines at all levels of government.

Okafor welcomed the enactment of the Nigeria Tax Administration Act 2025, which introduces a harmonized framework for tax collection and enforcement, and called for public sensitization on the Act’s benefits, especially its implications for nutrition and food security.

40% of Nigerian Children Under Five Affected by Malnutrition – Shettima

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