The Federal Government has directed state governments and the Federal Capital Territory to establish State Councils on Nutrition within the next three months to strengthen nutrition governance across Nigeria.
According to a statement released by State House Media on Tuesday, the directive was issued during the National Council on Nutrition meeting, chaired virtually by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
The move forms part of Nigeria’s broader strategy to combat malnutrition, improve food security, and ensure coordinated nutrition interventions reach all 774 local government areas nationwide.
The decision followed the adoption of the National Policy on Food and Nutrition (NPFN) 2026–2035 by the National Council on Nutrition, with a directive to the Nigeria Governors’ Forum to coordinate the establishment of councils in the remaining 27 states and the FCT, as only nine states currently have such structures.
The Council also ordered all states and the FCT to operationalize State Multisectoral Plans of Action for Food and Nutrition within six to nine months to ensure effective implementation.
This directive is expected to create stronger sub-national ownership of Nigeria’s nutrition agenda and improve governance structures for tackling malnutrition nationwide.
Vice President Shettima described the new framework as Nigeria’s most consequential nutrition strategy, emphasizing that it must be evidence-based, grassroots-oriented, and embraced at every level of governance. He stressed that the policy’s success would be measured by tangible improvements in maternal and child health outcomes by 2035.
The Nutrition 774 Initiative was highlighted as a key mechanism for delivering interventions effectively across all local government areas.
These additional measures are designed to strengthen policy implementation, secure sustainable financing, and accelerate progress against malnutrition.
The National Economic Council launched the Nutrition 774 Initiative in February 2025 as Nigeria’s first government-led intervention to systematically address malnutrition across all 774 local government areas. The initiative was designed to improve coordination, accountability, and financing while integrating nutrition into broader development goals.
The current policy framework builds directly on the Nutrition 774 Initiative by institutionalizing governance and scaling interventions nationwide.
Nigeria continues to face severe nutrition challenges, with over 11 million children under five suffering from stunting and more than half of pregnant women affected by anaemia. The World Bank has emphasized that every dollar invested in nutrition could yield up to $23 in economic returns, making nutrition investment both a health and economic priority.
With substantial economic and social benefits at stake, Nigeria’s renewed focus on nutrition governance could significantly improve public health outcomes while contributing to national development goals.
