FG Sets Up Committee to Strengthen Funding for Nutrition Programs

The National Council on Nutrition (NCN) has established a Nutrition Financing Subcommittee to develop a structured funding framework for Nigeria’s nutrition interventions. Vice-President Kashim Shettima, who chairs the NCN, inaugurated the committee on Thursday during a virtual council meeting.

Tasked with developing a financing roadmap within 30 days, the subcommittee will submit its plan to both the NCN and the National Economic Council for review and adoption.

The panel is chaired by Health Minister Muhammad Pate and includes the ministers of Education, Water Resources, Women’s Affairs, and Science and Technology. Also on the team are the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Health, with the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning serving as the secretariat.

Vice-President Kashim Shettima stressed the need to ring-fence nutrition financing to bridge the gap between policy promises and measurable impact, urging the inclusion of development partners and private investors, including the Aliko Dangote Foundation.

He highlighted the strategic role of the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria 2.0 (ANRiN 2.0) project in addressing urgent service delivery gaps in high-burden states and called on state governors to fast-track implementation at the sub-national level. He also emphasized the importance of transparency, insisting that funds must be clearly budgeted, released, ring-fenced, tracked, and accounted for across ministries, agencies, and states.

The vice-president further urged former legislators to mobilize support to ensure the passage of the National Nutrition Bill, which the council resolved to pursue urgently.

In response, the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq, reaffirmed governors’ commitment to nutrition-focused projects nationwide. Education Minister Tunji Alausa recommended establishing a sustainable funding structure to strengthen the federal nutrition drive.

The council also received an updated report on the national nutrition budgeting outlook, which highlighted progress and funding gaps across ministries, departments, agencies, and states. The report identified key priorities, including sustained reform initiatives and consolidation of nationwide nutrition programs under ANRiN 2.0.

Meanwhile, State Councils on Nutrition have been inaugurated in nine states — Abia, Adamawa, Borno, Cross River, Jigawa, Plateau, Rivers, Yobe, and Zamfara — with more states set to follow.