The federal government has called upon stakeholders to devise what it called ‘clinical pathways’ that will ultimately improve nutrition outcomes at sub-national levels.
This charge was delivered by Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, who also encouraged stakeholders to leverage the experience of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) National Executive Council (ALGON-NEC) in policy advocacy and implementation.
The aim, he said, is to create a collective roadmap to spur innovation and foster partnerships between sectors and ALGON.
Bagudu, represented by Dr. Sampson Ebimaro, Acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, made these observations during a two-day Stakeholders’ Workshop on the implementation of the Nutrition 774 (N774) Initiative, held in Niger State.
The Minister stated that “sustainable change begins with strategic actions and collaborative leadership aimed at supporting government efforts to address food and nutrition security at the Local Government Level.”
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Bagudu further assured that the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning is dedicated to coordinating the implementation with the Office of the Vice President to ensure the effective delivery of the framework at both National and Sub-National levels.
In his opening remarks, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of the Vice President, stated, “Towards sustainable human development under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the N774 initiative sticks to a similar truth: Development is most meaningful when it begins at the grassroots.”
He explained that the programme was conceived as a strategic response to malnutrition, which he described as “not just a health challenge, it’s an economic impediment, an educational barrier, and a silent threat to national productivity and security.”
Hadejia added, “Our economy cannot thrive when a significant portion of its future workforce is denied the foundational right to adequate nutrition. It is for this reason that the Nutrition 774 initiative was launched to ensure that every local government area becomes a center of coordinated action against malnutrition.”
He reasoned, “If malnutrition is most prevalent at the grassroots, then solutions will logically be anchored there as well.” Addressing the local government leaders, Hadejia maintained that, “You are the fulcrum of this effort, and the success of this framework depends on your commitment to institutionalizing nutrition governance.”
Engr. Bello Lawal, National President of ALGON, conveyed the Association’s commitment to supporting the Nutrition 774 Initiative as a flagship programme under the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Recognizing the crucial role local governments play in addressing malnutrition and improving nutritional outcomes, he assured that ALGON is prepared to drive impactful interventions at the grassroots level.
These interventions, he said, include participating in the development of the N-774 Implementation Framework and Roadmap, advocating for nutrition-specific budget lines and sustainable local funding sources, and coordinating awareness sessions for State and Local Government Chairmen.
Nemat Hajeebhoy, Chief of Nutrition, UNICEF-Nigeria, commended the Office of the Vice President, the Federation Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, and particularly ALGON NEC, for their leadership and steadfast commitment to making nutrition a national and local development priority.
She noted that the world cannot win the fight against hunger without Nigeria at the forefront, stressing that the meeting demonstrated the Nutrition Stakeholders’ shared urgency and responsibility. According to her, “Local Governments (LGAs) are on the frontline of implementation.”
Hajeebhoy explained that the Nutrition 774 Initiative “presents a unique opportunity to decentralize nutrition governance, strengthen local financing mechanisms, and deliver tailored, measurable and community-level impact,” explaining further that the workshop offered learning opportunities from success stories such as Jigawa’s Masaki Programme, which provides a scalable, community-driven model.
She advised ALGON and the Office of the Vice President to undertake a learning visit to observe the program in action, encouraging other LGAs to adapt similar models tailored to their local contexts to accelerate progress.
During zonal presentations on achievements related to N774, the North-West region collectively reported the appointment of technical nutrition focal persons across states, the creation of nutrition budget lines in all local governments, the establishment of experience-sharing and collaboration between development partners, and robust monitoring and evaluation systems with strong personnel capacity.
Under Water Hygiene and Sanitation (WASH), the South-West zone stated that they had educated communities to increase private sector involvement in building private toilets and enacted laws against open defecation offenders.
In terms of education, the zone also indicated plans to integrate nutrition education in all primary schools by the first quarter of 2026, promote healthy eating among children, implement home-grown feeding programs, and conduct school-based nutrition programmes, among other activities.
The workshop received sponsorship from the UNICEF Nigeria Office, Helen Keller International, and Civil Society-Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN).
Other attendees included representatives from various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, as well as the UK Government and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).