Special Assistant to the President on Public Health, Mrs. Uju Anwuka, has disclosed that Nigeria ranks 1st in Africa and 2nd globally on the child malnutrition index.
Annual losses due to malnutrition exceed $1.5 billion, undermining human capital and national development, Anwuka also stated in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.
The presidential aide who also described Nigeria’s malnutrition crisis as a national emergency, mentioned the Nutrition 774 Initiative as being conceived to provide a unified response to Nigeria’s malnutrition crisis.
She said the initiative is a multi-sectoral, community-based framework established to improve nutritional outcomes across the 774 local government areas of the country.
Anwuka added that the initiative is anchored on a five-phase strategic plan that prioritizes actions to strengthen governance structures, ensure accountability, and guarantee long-term sustainability.
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She added that each local government council on nutrition is expected to provide overall leadership, policy direction, and oversight to drive the implementation of the 774 initiative.
She commended the Cross River State government for making budgetary provisions for nutrition, noting that such commitment would strengthen local systems and align with national priorities.
“The vision is to achieve a well-nourished and healthy Nigerian population through strengthened local systems and coordinated national action on nutrition,” she said.
Speaking while receiving the presidential aide, Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State, sought federal backing for nutrition and health reforms.
Gov. Otu restated his administration’s commitment to a people-centered government, with a special focus on nutrition, preventive healthcare, and education, while calling for greater federal support to sustain reforms.
