By INIOBONG SUNDAY, Uyo
Federal Government has expressed worry over the prevailing food insecurity, hunger and malnutrition plaguing the vulnerable population and charged the 36 States and 774 local government areas to be in the vanguard of sustainable investment in agriculture for food sufficiency.
Besides, the committees in the 36 House of Assemblies on Nutrition, Food Sufficiency and Health, have been saddled with the responsibility to provide legislative oversights towards effective implementation of the scheme.
Our Correspondent learnt the House of Representatives committee on the matter, is to collaborate with its counterparts across the 36 Houses of Assembly under the aegis of the National Legislative Network on Nutrition and Food Security, NLNFS, to implement the policy.
Towards this end, Rt. Hon. Moses Essien, the member representing Ibiono Ibom State constituency and Chairman of the Committee on Nutrition, Food Security and Health, who doubles as the NLNF Public Relations Officer, PRO, disclosed that the decision was reached after meetings with Vice-President, Hashim Shettima, and Speaker, House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abass.
Addressing Journalists yesterday at a press conference held at the Correspondents’ Arena, Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, the lawmaker, underscored the imperative a holistic national food intervention, adding that it was borne out of the need to curb hunger, malnutrition through aggressive agricultural programnes.
He said: “The National Legislative Network on Nutrition and Food Security ,NLNFS, led by Hon. Chike Okafor, who is also the Chairman, House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security in the Federal House of Representatives, together with the leadership of Forum of Chairmen of Nutrition and Food Security in the 36 state Houses of Assembly in Nigeria met with Rt. Hon Speaker, House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, in his office at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja.
“The same Network and Leadership also met with Alhaji Kashim Shettima, Vice President, of Nigeria at Aso Rock Villa, Abuja. The purpose of these visit and meeting was to inform and seek the consent of the Speaker and the Vice President to attend our planned national workshop on Nutrition and Food Security billed to take place in May, 2025.
“It is important to note that the Committee on Nutrition and Food Security is a creation of the Federal House of Representative and all issues bothering on nutrition and food security is domiciled in the office in the Vice President of Nigeria.
“The chairmen of the 36 State Houses of Assembly in Nigeria were mandated to meet with Local Government Chairmen and Leaders of Legislative Council and mandate them to ensure that each legislative council in the 774 local Government councils also have committees on Nutrition and Food Security.
“This is the genesis of the present much talked about N774 initiative of the Federal Government. It is simply the idea and brain child of the office of the Vice- President of Nigeria through the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.
“Combating the hydra headed challenges of malnutrition and food insecurity cannot be fought with only the national without the sub-national and local government involvement
The N774 initiation is aimed at involving all the 774 local government councils in Nigeria in the fight against food insecurity and malnutrition”.
He recalled that the official launch of the initiative February, 20, 2025 during the National Economic Council ,NEC, meeting in Abuja with all the State Governors, ALGON and development partners in attendance and was chaired by the Vice President Bola Tinubu.
He explained that “the Nutrition 774 initiative has a Standard Operating Procedures ,SOP, that must be followed by the federal, state and local government based on nutrition challenges, beneficiaries, programme intervention areas, monitoring and evaluation, implementation and coordination, governance and institutional structures, collaborating MDAs, roles and responsibilities, finance and resources mobilization”.
The lawmaker, therefore, appealed to Governor Umo Eno, to “convene and inaugurate the committee in the State and charged them to action”.
