Vice President Kashim Shettima has charged local government chairmen across Nigeria to take ownership of the Nutrition 774 (N-774) Initiative and ensure its effective implementation at the grassroots.
Shettima gave the directive on Friday at the State House, Abuja, while receiving members of the National Executive Committee of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) on the nutrition programme.
He urged ALGON to strengthen Local Government Committees on Food and Nutrition, describing them as key platforms for planning, coordination, implementation and accountability in every council area.
According to the Vice President, the objective is to build functional local structures capable of delivering measurable improvements in nutrition outcomes and addressing malnutrition at the community level.
He said President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to improving nutrition should move beyond policy statements into practical action across all levels of government.
“National concern must become institutional action, institutional action must become measurable outcomes, and measurable outcomes must be reflected in healthier families and stronger communities,” Shettima said.
The Vice President described local governments as the closest level of administration to citizens and the first responders to challenges affecting communities.
He expressed concern that while several state governments had contributed to improving nutrition outcomes, the lack of coordinated nutrition programmes in many local government areas had created gaps in implementation.
Shettima said such gaps weakened efforts to achieve national nutrition goals, stressing that policies must translate into real benefits for families, especially children.
He commended ALGON for supporting the Nutrition 774 Initiative, including the validation of pilot local government areas and collaboration with nutrition experts and development partners.
The Vice President also urged local government leaders to remain focused on improving the lives of their constituents, noting that public office holders would ultimately be judged by the quality of service they provide.
He added that addressing poverty, insecurity and youth restiveness at the grassroots would contribute significantly to national development.
Earlier, ALGON National President, Bello Lawal, praised the Federal Government’s focus on food security, nutrition, agriculture and human capital development under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Lawal said the Nutrition 774 Initiative would help strengthen local food systems through improved agricultural productivity, reduction of post-harvest losses, better storage and processing facilities, household farming support and stronger local value chains.
He assured the Vice President that local government councils would provide the leadership needed to ensure the initiative delivers measurable improvements in the lives of Nigerians.
The ALGON president also called for the inclusion of nutrition services for pregnant women and children in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) benefit package as part of efforts to expand the impact of the programme.
He further appealed for continued involvement of local governments in national development programmes, describing them as a critical tier of governance.
Lawal said councils would intensify community awareness campaigns involving traditional rulers, religious leaders, women’s groups and youth organisations to promote nutrition as a shared responsibility.
