By Ochiaka Ugwu
Nigerian Minister of Budget and National Planning, Sen. Atiku Bagudu has expressed concern over nation’s nutrition journey stating that Nigeria had been facing stunting and micronutrient deficiencies persistently.
Bagudu who made this known Monday in Abuja at the opening ceremony of National Nutrition Week 2025 themed: “Sustainable Nutrition for a Healthier and Productive Nigeria” noted the nation’s nutrition moment was at a critical juncture.
Bagudu represented by Ag. Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Sampson Ebimaro said upon the setback, the nation made commendable progress in improving maternal and child health, expanding essential nutrition services, and strengthening food systems.
He said the challenges posed the need to align policies and scale actions with rapid population growth.
According to him, “Our nation’s nutrition moment is at a critical juncture. There is no doubt we have made commendable progress in improving maternal and child health, expanding essential nutrition services, and strengthening food systems.
“However, we face persistent challenges in stunting and micronutrient deficiencies and the need to align policies and scaled actions with rapid population growth” he said.
Minister Bagudu underlining the undeniable link between adequate nutrition and productive workforce and resilient economy, said nutrition as a cross-cutting issue underpins the need to prioritise nutrition-related interventions on the development agenda of the nation.
In his welcome remark, Ag. Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Budget & National Planning, Dr. Sampson Ebimaro represented by Director of Nutrition Department of the Ministry, Clementina Okoro said that nutrition lies at the very heart of human capital development and a building block upon which the health, prosperity, and future of the nation depend.
He said the role of nutrition was not merely one of sustenance but one of empowerment process for individuals to live healthier, more fulfilling lives for the populace to achieve their full potential.
Also speaking, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Steel Development, Dr. Chris. Osa Isokpunwu stressed the importance of nutrition to National development saying that you can’t separate nutrition from any sector as development was guaranteed by healthy workforce.
He said the problem was not intervention, but need for strategic move and reevaluation of activities for a good result.
Isokpunwu while noting that strategic use of data was vital to achieve good result in upscaling nutrition, he informed of the need for multisectoral coordination.
Speaking during the panel session, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Health Office of the Vice President, Uju Rochas Anwukah called for the inclusion of private sector in tackling malnutrition and advocated for multisectoral collaboration to ensure clear direction and to avoid duplication.
She said there should be a strategic plan to drive coordination and generate accurate date for effective planning and intervention.
She advocated coherence, community and continuity as the way to go in upscaling nutrition and turn the tide for better.
A nutrition expert, Prof. Ngozi Nnam called for intensified nutrition education to create the necessary awareness that would enable stakeholders sink it down to the grassroots for effective nutrition campaign with the aim of upscaling nutrition.
Country Director of Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Dr Michael Ojo said the event provides yet another important platform to take a moment to reflect on the collective efforts in promoting healthier diets and improved nutrition outcomes in the country and also drive momentum in identifying and addressing the bottlenecks that persist.
He said the theme resonates with the current ongoing efforts in reviewing the National Policy on Food and Nutrition, which will set a clear agenda and priorities for the next 10 years.
Ojo noted the need for coherent policies and actions for better nutrition and productivity to achieve sustainable nutrition for a healthier and productive nation.
