Vice President Kashim Shettima has inaugurated the Strategic Board of the Nutrition 774 Initiative, describing it as a critical intervention by the Tinubu administration to confront Nigeria’s deepening malnutrition crisis.
Speaking during the weekend ceremony at the State House in Abuja, Shettima called the board “a war room” assembled to fight a “quiet emergency” that threatens lives, productivity, and national development.
“This is not a ceremonial committee. It is a mission-critical task force assembled to win the battle against malnutrition in every corner of Nigeria,” Shettima declared.
He stressed that malnutrition has become a national emergency, with consequences that extend beyond health to security and economic productivity. “A malnourished population is unproductive. And an unproductive population drags down the wheels of progress,” he warned.
Shettima urged the newly appointed board members to treat their role as a call to urgent national duty, stating: “This is not a tea-drinking exercise. This is a race against time. A mission to save lives and safeguard our future.”
The Nutrition 774 Initiative, a flagship of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, is designed to harmonize and coordinate nutrition responses across all 774 local government areas, targeting children, women, schools, hospitals, and IDP camps.
According to Shettima, the programme aims to “end duplication, embrace coordination, and deliver measurable impact.”
Also speaking at the event, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, commended the Vice President’s leadership, saying the initiative will significantly reduce poverty and build social cohesion.
Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, called for women’s economic empowerment as part of the strategy, stressing the rising number of female- and child-headed households caused by conflict and displacement.
She asked, “How does an 11-year-old heading a household feed their siblings? Nutrition is as much an economic issue as it is a health issue.”
Chairman of the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, Hon. Chike Okafor, pledged the full backing of the National Assembly, affirming legislative support to ensure the initiative succeeds at the grassroots.
Mrs. Uju Anwuka, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Health, emphasized that the initiative supports the administration’s human capital investment agenda and addresses inequities in health and education.
She identified strong leadership, community engagement, and strategic partnerships as essential pillars for the success of Nutrition 774, which is expected to improve educational outcomes, productivity, and health equity nationwide.
