Shettima: Nigeria to Fast-Track National Food, Nutrition Bill
Vice President Kashim Shettima has announced plans to accelerate the development of a National Food and Nutrition Bill to protect nutrition financing, strengthen accountability and sustain interventions beyond successive administrations.
Shettima made this known 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 774 Initiative.
He said the initiative was designed to deepen collaboration among the federal, state and local governments and establish a unified response to malnutrition beginning at the community level.
According to the Vice President, Nigeria’s National Policy on Food and Nutrition 2026–2035 targets a reduction in the country’s stunting rate to 32 per cent by 2029, 28 per cent by 2032 and 25 per cent by 2035.
Shettima noted that nutrition committees had already been established in 32 State Houses of Assembly and more than 450 local governments, creating an opportunity to strengthen legislative and institutional support for nutrition programmes.
“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,” he said.
The Vice President disclosed that Nigeria’s $26 million commitment to the Child Nutrition Fund had attracted matching support, bringing the total to $52 million, while 21 states had contributed $6.3 million since 2023 towards supplies for the prevention and treatment of malnutrition.
He said the proposed Presidential Nutrition Investment Fund would provide catalytic financing, while the Nutrition Financing Subcommittee was working to mobilise additional domestic resources.
Shettima said the government was also strengthening mechanisms linking public expenditure to measurable nutrition outcomes through scorecards and improved domestic financing.
“We can only claim that our budget fulfils its purpose when it nourishes a child,” he said.
The Vice President said the urgency of addressing malnutrition was underscored by the estimated 40 per cent stunting rate among Nigerian children under five and the reported annual economic cost of $56 billion associated with undernutrition.
He said the Federal Government was also engaging food vendors, small and medium-sized enterprises, manufacturers, financiers and regulators to improve the availability and affordability of nutritious food.
The government, he added, was working with industry and regulators to strengthen compliance with food fortification requirements for salt, flour, edible oil and sugar.
Nigeria, Ethiopia Deepen Nutrition Cooperation
Earlier, Ethiopia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Temesgen Tiruneh, said the longstanding relationship between Nigeria and Ethiopia could contribute to Africa’s development, welcoming Nigeria’s interest in Ethiopia’s experience in tackling malnutrition.
Tiruneh said improving nutrition required sustained political leadership, adequate financing and accountability at all levels, supported by systems that track implementation and results.
Ethiopia’s Minister of Health, Dr Mekdes Daba, said nutrition remained central to the country’s development agenda through the Seqota Declaration, which seeks to end child stunting by 2030.
She stressed that poor nutrition affects children’s physical development, learning, future earnings and broader economic productivity, describing investment in the first 1,000 days of a child’s life as critical.
Members of the Nigerian delegation, including governors and ministers, pledged to strengthen the country’s nutrition value chain through greater investment in technology, financing, education and food systems.
The Nigerian delegation included the governors of Jigawa, Zamfara, Osun and Abia states, as well as ministers responsible for health, agriculture, budget and economic planning, water resources and sanitation, and education.
Shettima, Ethiopian Deputy PM Discuss Bilateral Relations
On the sidelines of the forum, Shettima and Tiruneh held a bilateral meeting to review Nigeria-Ethiopia relations and explore opportunities for increased cooperation in trade, investment, food security, aviation and security.
Tiruneh conveyed Ethiopia’s condolences to Nigeria over the recent Ondo air crash and expressed his country’s commitment to strengthening relations with Nigeria.
He also welcomed progress on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons Agreement between both countries, called for the convening of the Nigeria-Ethiopia Joint Commission and highlighted growing private-sector cooperation, including investments by the Dangote Group in Ethiopia.
Shettima reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to deepening bilateral relations and urged both countries to leverage their populations, resources and strategic positions to advance Africa’s development.
He also called for stronger intra-African investment under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), stressing the need for Nigeria and Ethiopia to expand cooperation in investment, agriculture, economic development and security.
The Vice President said the two countries had an important role to play in unlocking Africa’s potential, particularly as the continent’s young population and resources position it for greater economic opportunities.