FG Moves to Strengthen Nigeria’s National Nutrition Policy.

FG Moves to Strengthen Nigeria’s National Nutrition Policy.

The Federal Government has announced plans to accelerate the development of a National Food and Nutrition Bill as part of a broader effort to protect nutrition financing, strengthen accountability and ensure that interventions against malnutrition continue beyond successive administrations.

Vice President Kashim Shettima disclosed the plan on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at the Nigeria Ethiopia Nutrition Leadership Exchange Forum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Shettima said the proposed legislation would provide stronger legal backing for Nigeria’s nutrition response and reinforce cooperation among the federal, state and local governments. The bill is also expected to strengthen the government’s Nutrition 774 Initiative, which seeks to coordinate action against malnutrition from the community level upward.

The Vice President said the need for legislative backing has become more pressing as nutrition committees have been established in 32 State Houses of Assembly and more than 450 local governments. He argued that a federal, state and local compact would help protect nutrition financing and establish clearer accountability beyond individual political administrations.

The proposed legislation comes against the backdrop of Nigeria’s newly adopted National Policy on Food and Nutrition 2026 /2035. The National Council on Nutrition adopted the policy in April and directed its transmission to the Federal Executive Council for ratification. The policy provides a 10 year framework for addressing malnutrition and strengthening food and nutrition interventions across the country.

According to the Federal Government, the new policy targets a reduction in Nigeria’s stunting rate from current levels to 32 per cent by 2029, 28 per cent by 2032 and 25 per cent by 2035. The government has also positioned the Nutrition 774 Initiative as a mechanism for translating national nutrition objectives into action across the country’s 774 local government areas.

Shettima also disclosed that Nigeria’s $26 million commitment to the Child Nutrition Fund had attracted matching support, bringing the available funding to $52 million for nutrition interventions. He further noted that 21 states had contributed $6.3 million since 2023 towards supplies aimed at preventing and treating malnutrition.

The push for a National Food and Nutrition Bill reflects a broader recognition that Nigeria’s response to malnutrition requires sustained financing, coordination and accountability rather than programmes that depend solely on the priorities of individual administrations.

For the proposed law to deliver its intended impact, however, its effectiveness will ultimately depend on the strength of its provisions, implementation across all tiers of government, transparent management of nutrition funds and measurable improvements in the nutritional wellbeing of children and vulnerable populations.

Nigeria’s nutrition challenge remains closely connected to food security, poverty, healthcare access, sanitation and household economic conditions. The government’s effort to establish a stronger legislative framework therefore represents an important step, but sustained implementation and accountability will determine whether the policy commitments translate into tangible outcomes for families across the country.