The fight against malnutrition in Nigeria has taken a bold step forward with the Nutrition 774 (N774) Initiative, designed to improve nutrition outcomes across all Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the country. The Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning (FMBEP), in collaboration with the Office of the Vice President, UNICEF, and ALGON, organized a Stakeholders Validation Workshop to finalize the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the Nutrition 774 Initiative in Abuja. The Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Office of the Vice President, Senator Ibrahim Hassan, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to tackling malnutrition through the Nutrition 774 Initiative, emphasizing the need for strong multi-sectoral collaboration to ensure no child or community is left behind.
Speaking at the workshop, the Special Assistant to the Vice President on Public Health, Uju Rochas-Anwukah, highlighted the critical role of nutrition in national development. She underscored the need for a holistic approach that integrates health, education, agriculture, and social protection sectors. She further emphasized that the initiative, endorsed by the National Economic Council, aims to scale up evidence-based interventions at the grassroots level while ensuring strong coordination among federal, state, and local governments. The Permanent Secretary of FMBEP, Dr. Emeka Vitalis, also stressed the importance of transparency and accountability in nutrition programming, calling for sustained commitment from all levels of government and development partners.
CS-SUNN played a significant role in the workshop, advocating for stronger civil society involvement in implementing the Nutrition 774 Initiative at the local government level. Represented by the Acting Programme Manager, Kunle Ishola during a panel session on “Governance and Institutional Framework: Private Sector And Partners” CS-SUNN proposed a three-pronged approach: mobilizing CSO network members to align into National Nutrition strategy and 774 Initiative goals and objectives, providing coordination and support for effective nutrition service delivery, and training LGA officials on nutrition policies and their roles within the Local Government Committee on Food and Nutrition (LGCFN). Ishola emphasized that strengthening the capacity of local officials would ensure better policy implementation and sustainable interventions.
Additionally, he stressed the need for sustainability, urging the government to take full ownership of nutrition programs rather than relying heavily on foreign donors. Ishola highlighted the development of a Performance Management System by the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning to assess the coordination, effectiveness of the National and State Committees on Food and Nutrition (NCFN and SCFN). The system he added, has now been expanded to include the Local Government Committee on Food and Nutrition (LGCFN). It evaluates policy awareness and implementation, service coverage, and financial commitments—including budget allocation, fund releases, and actual expenditures.
The workshop aims to finalize a blueprint for action that will deliver data-driven, community-focused interventions. The Deputy Chief of Staff expressed confidence that the SOP will mark significant progress in improving nutrition outcomes across the entire 774 Local Government Area of the country.
