Vice President Kashim Shettima has inaugurated the National Council on Nutrition, seeking solutions to the nation’s nutritional challenges.
Speaking on Tuesday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Shettima urged the council to prioritise innovation and research in its quest to transform the nation’s nutritional landscape significantly.
“I wish to appeal to all members to prioritise innovation and research in the field of nutrition. We must embrace technology, leverage digital solutions, and invest in research and development to discover sustainable and scalable solutions for our nutrition challenges,” the Vice President was quoted in a statement by his media aide, Olusola Abiola.
“This aligns with our pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals and Universal Health Coverage. By harnessing the power of innovation and making prudent investments, we can fundamentally transform the nutritional landscape in Nigeria, creating lasting and meaningful change.”
The Vice President who is the Chairman of the Council, said though there are challenges to the actualization of set targets and goals, “we must collaborate to enhance nutrition governance, ensure the widespread availability of nutritious food, champion optimal infant and young child nutrition, and bolster nutrition education and awareness campaigns.
“While funding is undeniably crucial, we must also prioritise streamlining processes, implementing practical strategies, and fostering genuine collaboration to overcome the hurdles before us.”
“A healthy nation isn’t just a happier one; it’s also safer. This underscores the necessity of our gathering here today. This occasion is not only to emphasize that the quality of what we consume is just as important as the quantity but also to renew our commitment to understanding the connection between food and human security,” Sen. Shettima added.
The VP acknowledged the support of stakeholders in the private sector and the United Nations system.
Earlier in his remarks, the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Sen. Atiku Bagudu, said the inauguration of NCN will ensure further consolidation on the successes already recorded in the sector, especially the country’s alignment with the global direction to develop Food Systems Transformation Pathways.
He disclosed that the implementation of the priority actions in the Food Systems Transformation Pathways had commenced in all the 36 States including the FCT.
Also present at the meeting were Ministers of Agriculture Sen. Abubakar Kyari; Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris; Women Affairs, Mrs Uju Kennedy; Health, Prof Ali Pate; Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Beta Edu; Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev; World Bank Country Director, Mr Shubam Chauhdri; Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Nutrition Society of Nigeria, Muhammad Sanusi II, and UNICEF Country Rep, Cristiane Munduate, among others.
