***Say, Nigeria’s Future Hinges on Nutrition, Call for Urgent Investment
The urgent need to invest in nutrition as a foundation for Nigeria’s economic and human capital development took center stage at the “Nutrition Now!” high-level dialogue, where government officials, international partners, and nutrition advocates underscored the devastating impact of malnutrition and the economic benefits of immediate action.
The event which took place recently was co-hosted by the Canadian High Commission, Nutrition International, and Nigeria’s Ministry of Budget and Planning,
It brought together Vice President Sen. Kashim Shettima, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, Chairman of the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security Hon. Chike Okafor, and Nutrition International’s Country Director Dr. Osita Okonkwo to drive home the message: Nigeria’s future prosperity depends on tackling malnutrition now.
In his opening remarks, Canadian High Commissioner Pasquale Salvaggio emphasized that malnutrition is a global challenge with severe health, economic, and developmental consequences.
Citing World Health Organization data, he painted a grim picture indicating that 148m children under five were stunted in 2022 due to chronic malnutrition, 45m children suffered from wasting, making them dangerously underweight and 37m children were overweight, signaling a growing obesity crisis.
“Malnutrition stifles development, limits economic growth, and deepens inequality,” Salvaggio stated.
“Stunted children face cognitive delays and lower productivity as adults, while anaemia continues to hold back millions of women and girls.”
Despite Nigeria’s vast agricultural resources, high malnutrition rates persisted particularly among children and pregnant women.
Factors such as poverty, food insecurity, inadequate healthcare, climate change, and conflict have worsened the situation.
Speaking at the event, Vice President Kashim Shettima reaffirmed the Nigerian government’s commitment to integrating nutrition into national policies. He announced a new national master plan, which will align nutrition programs across key sectors, ensuring sustained funding and measurable impact.
“Our government recognizes that tackling malnutrition is not just about feeding people but investing in our economy, our workforce, and our nation’s stability,” Shettima declared.
Minister of Budget and Economic Planning Abubakar Atiku Bagudu echoed this commitment, emphasizing that strengthening nutrition policies and programs is a critical pillar of Nigeria’s economic resilience.
“The cost of inaction is simply too high,” Bagudu warned. “If we fail to act now, we are condemning millions of children to a lifetime of lost potential and robbing our economy of its greatest asset—its people.”
Country Director of Nutrition International, Dr. Osita Okonkwo,
presented alarming statistics on the economic toll of malnutrition and introduced the Cost of inaction tool, a resource developed to quantify the financial losses Nigeria incurs due to poor nutrition.
Key statistics highlighted indicated that 9.4m children under five have received life-saving vitamin A supplementation, which can prevent up to 12% of childhood deaths, 26.4m doses of iron and folic acid have been provided to pregnant women, significantly reducing maternal health risks and 800,000 caregivers trained in diarrhoea prevention and management, a crucial intervention for child survival.
“New evidence shows that investing in nutrition yields profound health, education, and economic benefits,” Dr. Osita stated. “This is not just about food—it’s about economic growth, national productivity, and securing a prosperous future.”
Chairman of the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, Hon. Chike Okafor, called for urgent policy reforms and increased funding to tackle malnutrition at all levels of governance.
“Malnutrition is not just an Abuja issue—it is a national crisis that disproportionately affects our rural communities,” Okafor stated. “While many in the capital can afford a balanced diet, millions in villages suffer daily from hunger and malnutrition.”
He outlined legislative efforts aimed at eliminating multiple taxation on food and farm produce, which has contributed to rising food costs, Reviewing laws to extend maternity leave to six months, ensuring better infant nutrition and maternal health and strengthening the National Legislative Network on Nutrition and Food Security, a coalition dedicated to addressing malnutrition nationwide.
Reaffirming Canada’s role as a long-term development partner, Salvaggio announced a historic $360.6 million commitment to Nutrition International, marking Canada’s largest-ever single investment in global nutrition.
Through this funding, Canada will support Maternal and newborn nutrition programs, Adolescent health and micronutrient supplementation and Diarrhoea prevention and treatment initiatives.
At the event, Nutrition International unveiled its new health economics tool, developed with Canadian support.
This tool will help Nigerian policymakers make data-driven decisions and allocate resources efficiently to maximize impact.
As Nigeria prepares for the March 2025 Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit, Salvaggio, Shettima, Bagudu, Okafor, and Dr. Osita all issued a united call for bold commitments to end malnutrition.
“Investing in nutrition is not just a moral imperative—it is an economic necessity,” Salvaggio emphasized. “The time to act is NOW.”
The event concluded with a resounding pledge from all stakeholders—government agencies, international partners, and civil society organizations—to accelerate investments in nutrition, ensuring every Nigerian child has the opportunity to thrive.
“If we invest wisely today, we will build a healthier, stronger, and more productive nation for generations to come,” Dr. Osita affirmed.
