Malnutrition threatens our nation’s economic growth – Nigerian govt
The Federal Government has described malnutrition as a national problem that undermines the country’s manpower development and poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s overall economic growth.
Mrs Uju Rochas-Anwuka, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Health (Office of the Vice President), disclosed this during a courtesy visit to Jigawa State Governor, Umar Namadi, and the inauguration of the State Council on Nutrition 774.
She explained that the Nutrition 774 Initiative, which forms part of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, was conceived by the Vice President as a flagship initiative of the National Council on Nutrition in response to the devastating impact of malnutrition and its associated consequences on the Nigerian population.
Mrs Rochas-Anwuka further stated that malnutrition is not merely a health issue but a national economic concern that requires stronger action to minimise the problem.
According to her, “When a child is malnourished, when a family is malnourished, the entire system focuses on what to eat next rather than the development of our dear nation.”
She noted that the entire system becomes preoccupied with survival needs rather than progress. This, she said, is why malnutrition is not just a problem of individuals but a national problem that directly affects the country’s manpower and ultimately its economic growth.
Governor Namadi expressed appreciation to the Office of the Vice President for the initiative and reaffirmed Jigawa’s leading role in nutrition advocacy and implementation.
He said, “Jigawa has been at the forefront of tackling malnutrition in this country, but we are yet to achieve what we want to achieve. Therefore, your coming will help us strengthen our efforts on nutrition.
“Our Masaki Programme, which was established in 2020, is solely focused on a serious and rigorous campaign for nutrition at the grassroots level.”
He stated that ₦250 million is set aside by the state government annually for the procurement of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) in collaboration with UNICEF, while members of the Jigawa State House of Assembly contribute ₦300 million yearly to support community-level nutrition interventions.
According to him, “Our budget for health has been increased beyond the Abuja Declaration to show that health is an important component of our 12-month agenda. In the ongoing budget process, the Ministry of Education has already included nutrition provisions, and we expect Health, Women Affairs, and Agriculture to do the same. Sectoral allocations for nutrition will be included in every relevant MDA.”
Governor Namadi assured that Jigawa will be the first state to achieve the goals of the Nutrition 774 project.
