Nigeria can no longer afford to rely on foreign donors to feed its malnourished children. That was the message from Vice President Kashim Shettima on Wednesday as the government unveiled a new domestic financing model for nutrition programmes.
The decision came at the second high-level meeting of the Nutrition 774 (N-774) Initiative Strategic Board, chaired by Shettima at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The board directed the Federal Ministry of Finance to activate the Presidential Nutrition Intervention Fund (PNIF) and revenues from the Sugar-Sweetened Beverage (SSB) levy to fund nutrition interventions across the country.
"The domestic financing architecture must be activated now," Shettima said, warning that nutrition programmes shouldn't be left vulnerable to changing donor priorities.
The shift comes as global development assistance declines. Nigeria, which has one of the world's highest burdens of malnutrition, can't assume external support will remain available indefinitely.
According to the Federal Ministry of Health and development partners, an estimated two million Nigerian children suffer from severe acute malnutrition every year. Millions more experience stunting and other forms of undernutrition. Poor nutrition is a major contributor to child mortality and leads to lifelong consequences — impaired physical growth, reduced learning capacity, and lower productivity in adulthood.
The National Economic Council launched the N-774 Initiative to strengthen coordination and accountability for nutrition interventions across all 774 local government areas. But the programme faces a financing gap of about N500 billion.
Shettima said nutrition remains a key component of President Bola Tinubu's human capital development agenda. Investments in child nutrition, he argued, are essential to building a healthier, more productive population that can drive the country's future growth.
Beyond funding, the vice president expressed concern about delays in setting up nutrition governance structures at the state and local levels. Twenty-six states haven't yet inaugurated their State Councils on Nutrition. And 304 local government areas still lack Local Government Committees on Food and Nutrition.
Shettima urged the remaining states and LGAs to act quickly, saying stronger subnational participation is critical to achieving the goals of the N-774 Initiative.
The board also discussed plans for a National Nutrition Bill that would provide legal backing for nutrition interventions and strengthen accountability. Shettima directed the initiative's secretariat to engage lawmakers, state governments, and development partners before transmitting the proposed legislation to the National Assembly.
The bill is expected to complement ongoing efforts to institutionalise nutrition programmes and ensure more predictable financing for interventions targeting mothers and children.