Shettima Directs LGs To Lead Fight Against Malnutrition

Vice President Kashim Shettima has charged local government chairmen to drive the implementation of the Nutrition 774 (N-774) Initiative at the grassroots to improve nutritional outcomes in communities across Nigeria.

He has thus directed the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) to actively participate in and strengthen the Local Government Committees on Food and Nutrition, ensuring they become centres of planning, coordination, implementation, and accountability in every council.

Senator Shettima gave the directive on Friday in Abuja during a courtesy visit by the National Executive Committee of ALGON on the Nutrition 774 Initiative to the Presidential Villa. He said the goal is to develop functional structures capable of delivering measurable improvements in nutrition at the community level.

“I believe that strengthening the Local Government Committees on Food and Nutrition therefore presents an important opportunity to reinforce this governance framework. These committees should become centres of planning, coordination, implementation and accountability within every Local Government Area.

“I urge ALGON to drive this process with determination so that every council develops functional structures capable of delivering measurable improvements in nutrition at the community level,” he stated in a statement by his spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha.

The Vice President told the ALGON Executive that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to nutrition is a governance directive that must be strengthened in order to become fully operational.

“The commitment of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to nutrition is a governance directive. Strengthening every tier of government is the pathway through which that directive becomes operational.

“National concern must become institutional action, institutional action must become measurable outcomes, and measurable outcomes must be reflected in healthier families, stronger communities, and children whose opportunities in life are no longer constrained by preventable malnutrition,” he said.

Noting that the seriousness of the Nigerian state will ultimately be judged by the quality of life enjoyed by its youngest citizens, VP Shettima maintained that the President is transforming leadership at the local government level, with councils increasingly delivering governance that reflects the needs and aspirations of the people.

He described local government chairmen as the closest tier of government to the people and the first responders to challenges confronting communities, underscoring that the absence of a coherent nutrition agenda at the local government level, which has created a significant gap, is unacceptable.

“Our state governments have made commendable contributions to improving nutrition outcomes. However, the absence of a coherent nutrition agenda across many Local Government Areas has created a significant gap within the governance framework established by the National Policy on Food and Nutrition.

“That gap weakens implementation where impact matters most. National ambitions cannot flourish if they lose momentum before reaching the communities they were designed to serve,” he added.

The VP, however, lauded ALGON’s commitment to supporting the implementation of the Nutrition 774 Initiative, including the ongoing validation of pilot Local Government Areas and the association’s collaboration with the Nutrition Technical Team and development partners.

The Vice President said local government leaders occupy a strategic position in Nigeria’s governance structure because they understand the realities at the grassroots.

He urged them to remain committed to addressing the concerns of their constituents, stressing that history would judge public office holders not by the length of their tenure but by the quality of service they render.

The VP noted that tackling insecurity, poverty, and youth restiveness at the grassroots would significantly accelerate national development and improve the well-being of Nigerians.

Earlier, the ALGON National President, Engr. Bello Lawal, thanked the Vice President for granting an audience to the delegation, even as he commended President Tinubu for placing food security, nutrition, agriculture, and human capital development at the centre of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

He said the association sees Nutrition 774 as an opportunity to strengthen local food systems by increasing agricultural productivity, reducing post-harvest losses, improving storage and processing capacity, supporting household farming, and promoting local value chains capable of improving both food availability and household incomes.

Lawal sought the Vice President’s support and advocacy for the inclusion of nutrition services for pregnant women and children in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) benefit package as part of the Nutrition 774 Initiative, in collaboration with ALGON and the 774 local government councils.

He also sought continued support for the inclusion of ALGON and the 774 local government councils in national programmes as the third tier of government in Nigeria.