Vice President Kashim Shettima has called on lawmakers across Nigeria to enact legislation that enhances nutrition and food security, ensuring that every household has access to the essential diets required for a healthy and productive life.
Speaking at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday, Shettima emphasized the critical role of the National Assembly in supporting the Nutrition 774 Initiative, a government-led program aimed at improving coordination, financing, and accountability in nutrition interventions.
The initiative, championed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, seeks to provide every mother and child—regardless of location—access to life-saving nutrition programs tailored to their needs.
“For too long, our responses to malnutrition have been fragmented, donor-driven, and inconsistent. Nutrition 774 changes that. It is government-led, government-funded, and government-implemented because we understand that food security cannot be outsourced,” Shettima stated while addressing members of the National Legislative Network on Nutrition and Food Security led by Chike Okafor, Chairman of the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security.
The Vice President urged lawmakers to take concrete steps in reviewing key laws, including maternity leave policies to support infant nutrition and the removal of multiple taxation on food produce to curb inflation.
He stressed the need for execution, stating: “We have had enough reports, enough recommendations, and enough committees. What Nigeria needs now is action.”
Shettima also noted that the Tinubu administration’s focus on nutrition aligns with global development goals, including the UN Agenda 2030, and the African Union Agenda 2063, reinforcing the government’s commitment to sustainable food security and improved public health across the country.