The Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) has taken a significant step toward ending malnutrition as the National Council on Nutrition (NCN) approved the National Policy on Food and Nutrition (NPFN) 2026-2035. The approval paves the way for the policy to be transmitted to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for final ratification.
During its 15th meeting, held virtually and chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, the Council directed all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to establish functional State Councils on Nutrition within three months. This directive aims to enhance sub-national ownership of nutrition interventions across the country.
Comprehensive Multi-Sectoral Framework
The newly adopted policy is described as a comprehensive and multi-sectoral framework designed to guide Nigeria's nutrition and food security interventions over the next decade. Vice President Shettima emphasized the human impact of policy decisions, stating that behind every statistic discussed is a Nigerian child whose life chances are shaped by government actions or inactions.
"We will be judged not by our deliberations but by our deliveries. Not by what we decided in April 2026, but by what mothers and children across the 774 local government areas experience by 2035," Shettima said.
Evidence-Based and Grassroots-Driven
The Vice President described the NPFN as the most consequential nutrition policy Nigeria has ever produced, stressing that it is evidence-based, grassroots-driven, and cuts across sectors. He noted that the policy is not limited to a single ministry but belongs to every ministry, state, local government, ward, and household represented in the work of the Council.
The Council mandated the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning to transmit the policy to FEC, while directing all relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to align their programs, plans, and budgets with its provisions within 12 months. States and the FCT were instructed to operationalize their multisectoral plans of action on food and nutrition within six to nine months.
Legislation and Financing
On legislation, the Council approved a six-week extension for the submission of a draft National Nutrition Bill but insisted that the bill must be transmitted to the National Assembly within eight weeks. The Vice President said the proposed law would provide the legal framework to safeguard nutrition financing and define responsibilities across federal, state, and local governments.
To strengthen funding, the Council expanded the nutrition financing sub-committee to include the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, the Commissioners of Finance Forum, and the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON). Shettima noted that the sub-committee would coordinate closely with the Nutrition 774 Strategic Board to ensure synergy and avoid duplication of roles.
Private Sector Participation
To boost private sector participation, the Council approved the establishment of a co-branded nutrition intervention window to be launched within 60 days, in partnership with the Dangote Foundation and relevant government ministries. The Vice President highlighted the central role of the Nutrition 774 Initiative, describing it as a practical framework for delivering nutrition interventions across all 774 local government areas.
