Reps take bold step to combat malnutrition, food insecurity

By Christiana Ekpa

The House of Representatives has reiterated its commitment to leading coordinated national efforts that will improve nutrition and strengthen food security across the country.

Chairman of the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, Rt. Hon. Chike Okafor, said on Thursday that the legislature was no longer content with symbolic responses or fragmented programmes in the face of worsening nutritional indicators, particularly among children, pregnant women, and vulnerable rural populations.

He said the House was resolute in its commitment to confront Nigeria’s deepening malnutrition crisis and growing food insecurity.

Addressing journalists at the National Assembly, Okafor stated that Nigeria’s troubling nutrition profile, worsened by insecurity in food-producing regions, climate shocks, inflation, poor distribution infrastructure, and low public investment in nutrition-sensitive programmes, demands urgent, unified action.

“This Summit reflects the resolve of the House of Representatives, 10th Assembly, to lead from the front in addressing one of Nigeria’s most pressing human development challenges. Together, let us build a nation where every child is well-nourished, every mother is healthy, and every household is food-secure,” Okafor said.

According to him, the House under Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, took a decisive step last year by creating the Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, an unprecedented move in Nigeria’s legislative history, to ensure a more focused, accountable, and strategic approach to food and nutrition issues.

He noted that despite several policy frameworks and interventions in the past, millions of Nigerians still face hunger and malnutrition, especially in rural and conflict-affected areas.

He blamed this on a combination of systemic weaknesses, such as poor coordination among stakeholders, insufficient funding, inadequate accountability, and limited subnational implementation of national policies.

Recognising these gaps, he said, the House is not only stepping up oversight but also working to strengthen legislative frameworks and policy coherence around food security and nutrition at all levels of governance.

One of the major vehicles to drive this renewed engagement, he added, is the forthcoming National Summit on Nutrition and Food Security, scheduled for July 8 to 10 in Abuja.

Although the summit forms part of the House Open Week, Okafor clarified that it is not intended to be ceremonial. “The House expects concrete outcomes,” he said.

These include strengthened nutrition laws, improved budget transparency, more harmonised agency coordination, and a roadmap to support States in domesticating and implementing national nutrition policies.

Themed “Curbing Malnutrition and Food Insecurity Through Effective Synergies,” the summit will convene key actors across the Executive and Legislative arms of government, federal and state ministries and agencies, civil society, private sector players, and international development partners.