Lagos moves to tackle malnutrition
Lagos State Government has inaugurated local government and Local Council Development Area (LCDA) committees on food and nutrition, as part of efforts to address nutritional challenges at the grassroots. Speaking
Lagos State Government has inaugurated local government and Local Council Development Area (LCDA) committees on food and nutrition, as part of efforts to address nutritional challenges at the grassroots.
Speaking at a two-day inauguration held in Ikeja, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget (MEPB), Mrs. Olayinka Ojo, highlighted the severity of malnutrition, particularly child stunting, across the country.
Represented by Mr. Saheed Olowonisaye, a director in the ministry, she said child stunting remained high at 40 per cent nationwide, with some northern states recording rates above 60 per cent.
Additionally, about eight per cent of children are affected by wasting, according to 2024 data from the Federal Ministry of Health.
She said malnutrition continued to pose a major public health concern in Nigeria, including Lagos, which, despite being the nation’s most populous state and one of the world’s largest megacities, still faced troubling nutrition indices.
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Mrs Ojo said the state’s stunting rate stood at 39.4 per cent.
She said malnutrition appeared in different forms, including undernutrition, overnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies, adding that improving nutritional well-being was essential for human development and aligned with the government’s vision of transforming Lagos into a leading smart city and global economic hub.
Director of Family Health and Nutrition, Ministry of Health, Dr. Folashade Oludara, described the initiative as a continuation of the state’s long-standing efforts in nutrition over the past decade.
Secretary of Lagos State Committee on Food and Nutrition and the State Nutrition Officer, Mrs. Taiwo Fadairo, said malnutrition remained a complex issue driven by multiple factors at the household, community and systemic levels.
