Vice President Kashim Shettima, has tasked lawmakers across the nation to enact relevant legislation that would enhance nutrition and food security.
He said that this nutrition intervention laws will ensure that every household in Nigeria has access to the various diets required for a healthy and productive life.
Nutrition 774 Initiative
According to Shettima, this is the reason that the President Bola Tinubu’s government is spearheading the Nutrition 774 Initiative.
He said the initiative is an answer to the bid to improve coordination, financing, and accountability. in ensuring that every mother and child—regardless of where they live—has access to lifesaving nutrition interventions tailored to their needs.
The VP underscored the role of legislature in making the Nutrition 774 initiative a success, at a meeting with the National Legislative Network on Nutrition and Food Security led by Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Nutrition and Food Security,
He described the responses so far to malnutrition as fragmented, donor-driven, and inconsistent stating that Nutrition 774 changes that, as it is government-led, government-funded, and government-implemented because the government understand that food security cannot be outsourced.
The Role of the Legislation
“The role of the legislature in making this initiative a success cannot be overstated. You are essential in reviewing key laws—from maternity leave policies that support improved infant nutrition to the removal of multiple taxation on food produce, to curb inflation. But beyond policies, we need execution. We have had enough reports, enough recommendations, and enough committees. What Nigeria needs now is action.” Shettima said.
Explaining why the government’s interventions align with global aspirations such as the UN Agenda 2030 and the African Union Agenda 2063, VP Shettima pointed out that the Tinubu administration is integrating the initiative with its broader national policies, including the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, the National Policy on Food and Nutrition, and the National Policy on Food Safety.
He noted that the link between malnutrition and insecurity, observing that the regions worst hit by food insecurity are also the regions most affected by violence and instability.
Calling for immediate action, the VP told the lawmakers that by investing in nutrition, the nation is investing in national security, long-term stability and economic growth; even as he warned that desperation will always set in whenever people struggle to eat.
“When young people are denied a fair shot at life because their bodies and minds were weakened by poor nutrition in childhood, the consequences ripple through generations. This is why investing in nutrition is not just a moral obligation; it is an investment in national security, economic growth, and long-term stability.
According to him, the Nutrition 774 Initiative is a lifeline, a roadmap, a commitment, which he is confident that with the legislatures on board, government will not only fight malnutrition—but win.
Responding, the leader of the delegation, Chike Okafor, said that his committee has the core mandate of looking at existing laws on nutrition and food and amending them to bring them up to speed with global realities.
Okafor explained that the his committee engages the Conference of Speakers of the 36 State Houses of Assembly, which now have committees on nutrition and food security
According to Okafor, key legislative reforms under consideration include extending maternity leave from three to six months, regulating the sale of bulk and potentially adulterated vegetable oil in open markets, and addressing multiple taxations on food products transported across different regions of the country.
