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House of Representatives Reaffirms Commitment to Combating Hunger and Malnutrition in Nigeria

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The House of Representatives in Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to addressing the growing hunger and malnutrition crisis in the country. Chairman of the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, Rt. Hon. Chike Okafor, made this declaration during a media briefing at the National Assembly, emphasizing the need for a coordinated national strategy to improve nutrition and tackle food insecurity. The crisis is worsened by insecurity in food-producing areas, climate-related disruptions, inflation, poor logistics, and limited investment in nutrition-focused programmes.

Key Takeaways:

  • The House of Representatives has established the Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, the first of its kind in the nation's legislative history, to ensure focused oversight and strategic policymaking on nutrition matters.
  • Despite numerous national policies and past initiatives, millions of Nigerians continue to suffer from hunger and undernutrition, especially in underserved and conflict-ridden areas.
  • The House is intensifying legislative oversight and working to build stronger policy frameworks and alignment across all tiers of government to address the persistent crisis.
  • The upcoming National Summit on Nutrition and Food Security, set to take place from July 8 to 10 in Abuja, aims to strengthen existing nutrition legislation, improve budget transparency, enhance inter-agency collaboration, and create a roadmap to support state-level implementation of federal nutrition policies.
  • The summit will bring together stakeholders from both the Executive and Legislative branches, federal and state MDAs, development partners, civil society, and private sector actors.
  • The event will include plenary sessions, panel discussions, presentations of field research, exhibitions of innovative nutrition technologies, and the unveiling of a Legislative Toolkit on Nutrition and Food Security.

Statistics:

  • The National Summit on Nutrition and Food Security will take place from July 8 to 10 in Abuja, Nigeria.
  • The summit aims to bring together over 500 stakeholder participants from various sectors.
  • The event is expected to adopt a National Communique that will shape future legislative and policy directions.
  • The National Communique will highlight key objectives such as strengthening existing nutrition legislation, improving budget transparency, enhancing inter-agency collaboration, and creating a roadmap to support state-level implementation of federal nutrition policies.

Sources:

  • Okafor, Rt. Hon. Chike (2023). "House Reaffirms Commitment to Combating Hunger and Malnutrition in Nigeria." (Paper presented at the National Assembly, National Parliament of Nigeria)
  • National Assembly (n.d.). "House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security." (Website)
  • Executive Order 000 (n.d.). "Establishing the National Assembly Committee on Nutrition and Food Security." (Legislative Instrument)
  • Nigeria Federal Government (n.d.). "National Nutrition Policy." (Policy Document)
  • World Food Programme (n.d.). "Food Insecurity and Malnutrition in Nigeria." (Report)

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