World Bank Approves $50 Million to Tackle Nigeria’s Nutrition Crisis
By Mathew Eloyi
The World Bank has approved a $50 million fund to support Nigeria’s ongoing fight against food and nutrition challenges, Country Director Ndiame Diop announced during a meeting with Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday.
The funding is allocated under the second phase of the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) project, a crisis response window aimed at addressing the country’s escalating malnutrition crisis.
Trina Haque, the World Bank’s Practice Manager for Health, Nutrition, and Population, highlighted the importance of nutrition education for children and adolescents, noting its critical role in early child development.
Vice President Shettima used the meeting to reaffirm Nigeria’s dedication to addressing its nutrition challenges with a localised approach, introducing the “N-774 Initiative.”
This new programme, designed to impact Nigeria’s 774 local government areas (LGAs), aims to deliver tailored nutrition interventions to local communities and foster sustainable solutions.
“The administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is pioneering a paradigm shift in nutrition programmes through locally owned solutions,” Shettima said.
“The N-774 Initiative represents our commitment to community-driven development and sustainable nutrition outcomes,” he added.
The Vice President explained that the N-774 Initiative, built on the outcomes of the ANRiN project, addresses malnutrition as a national issue requiring local solutions.
This community-driven strategy will integrate efforts across education, agriculture, health, and social protection sectors to achieve lasting nutrition improvements.
“Malnutrition is a Nigerian problem that needs a Nigerian solution,” he emphasised, noting President Tinubu’s strong support for the initiative.
Shettima stressed the need to leverage the current political will to reverse Nigeria’s adverse nutrition indicators, adding that “the Renewed Hope Administration is committed to swift, impactful results through this innovative approach to nutrition intervention.”
Shettima also emphasised the importance of collaboration between federal, state, and international partners, expressing confidence that the initiative would lead to significant health improvements across communities.