NCN adopts 10-year food, nutrition policy, seeks FEC approval
…directs states, FCT to inaugurate nutrition councils within 3 months …Shettima says Nutrition 774 will drive end malnutrition The National Council on Nutrition (NCN) adopted a 10-year National Policy on
...directs states, FCT to inaugurate nutrition councils within 3 months
...Shettima says Nutrition 774 will drive end malnutrition
The National Council on Nutrition (NCN) adopted a 10-year National Policy on Food and Nutrition (2026–2035) and directed that it be submitted to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for ratification, as part of renewed efforts to tackle malnutrition nationwide.
The decision was made during the Council’s 15th meeting, held virtually and chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, who said the new policy would serve as a comprehensive framework to address food security and nutrition challenges across the country.
The Council also directed all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to establish and inaugurate State Councils on Nutrition within three months, to deepen sub-national ownership of nutrition interventions.
Currently, only nine states have functional nutrition councils.
In his remarks, Shettima said the policy represents a critical turning point in Nigeria’s efforts to combat malnutrition, stressing that implementation, rather than deliberation, would determine its success.
In a statement issued by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Shettima said, “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 in the 774 local government areas experience by 2035.”
Describing the policy as “the most consequential nutrition policy this country has produced,” the Vice President noted that it is multi-sectoral, evidence-based and designed for grassroots impact.
“It is not a document for one ministry. It belongs to every ministry, every state, every local government, every ward and every household represented in the work of this Council,” he added.
The Council mandated the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning to transmit the document to FEC for final approval, while directing all relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to align their policies, plans and budgets with its provisions within 12 months.
It also ordered states to operationalise multisectoral plans of action on food and nutrition within six to nine months.
Regarding legislative backing, the Council approved a six-week extension for the submission of a draft National Nutrition Bill, directing that it must be transmitted to the National Assembly within eight weeks.
The Vice President said the bill would serve as the legislative backbone for the nutrition agenda, ensuring sustained financing and clearly defining responsibilities across federal, state and local governments.
The Council further 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 commended the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare for the sub-committee’s work, noting that five funding streams- domestic, bilateral, multilateral, private sector and innovative financing- had been identified.
He said the sub-committee would work closely with the Nutrition 774 Strategic Board to avoid duplication and strengthen coordination.
Highlighting the importance of the Nutrition 774 Initiative, the Vice President said the programme demonstrates the government’s resolve to eliminate malnutrition by ensuring nationwide coverage of interventions.
“The success of our nutrition reform will not be judged by federal announcements, but by co-coverage of interventions and household outcomes across all 774 local government areas.
“Behind every statistic is a child whose future is at stake… every Nigerian child must be seen as the face of this national assignment”, he said.
The Council also approved the establishment of a private sector challenge window for nutrition within 60 days, to be implemented in collaboration with the Dangote Foundation and relevant ministries.
Earlier, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, commended the Vice President’s leadership in elevating food security and nutrition as national priorities.
He said the policy provides a strategic framework for safeguarding human capital and advancing the objectives of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda.
Stakeholders across the public and private sectors expressed strong support for the policy, describing it as a critical investment in the future of Nigerian children and national development.
