A three-day national summit on nutrition and food security, themed “Curbing Malnutrition and Food Insecurity Through Effective Synergy,” is scheduled to commence on Monday, July 7, 2025, at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja. Vice President Kashim Shettima will officially open the summit, which is organized by the House of Representatives Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, chaired by Chike Okafor. The summit aims to address the persistent challenges of malnutrition and food insecurity plaguing Nigeria despite decades of national policies and programs. This critical issue disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, including children under five, pregnant and nursing mothers, and rural communities.
The summit will adopt a multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder approach, bringing together key players to collectively address the complex factors contributing to the crisis. Attendees will include high-ranking government officials such as the Chairman of the APC Governors’ Forum, Governor Hope Uzodimma, and Governor Mohammed Bago of Niger State. Federal and state lawmakers, representatives from relevant ministries (health, education, agriculture, planning, and finance), and various development partners like UNICEF, FAO, WFP, GAIN, CS-SUNN, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will also participate. Furthermore, civil society organizations and key actors from the organized private sector will contribute their expertise to the discussions.
A crucial aspect of the summit will be the involvement of security agencies. Recognizing the significant impact of insecurity on food production, the committee has invited heads of security agencies, including the police, the Director-General of the Department of State Services, the Commandant-General of the Civil Defence, and the Chief of Army Staff, to participate in the discussions on the second day. The aim is to address the challenges faced by farmers who are often unable to access their farms due to insecurity, hindering agricultural productivity and exacerbating food insecurity. The committee expects these security chiefs to outline the strategies being implemented to ensure the safety and security of farmers and their livelihoods.
The summit’s organizers emphasize that the event is not merely ceremonial but is intended to be a catalyst for decisive and coordinated action. The expected outcomes include strengthened legislative frameworks for nutrition and food security at both federal and state levels, increased budgetary allocations and improved tracking of nutrition funding, and clear recommendations for policy reforms and inter-agency coordination. Crucially, the summit aims to develop a roadmap for the effective domestication and implementation of nutrition policies by State Houses of Assembly, ensuring that these policies translate into tangible improvements in local communities.
Several factors contributing to the persistent challenges of malnutrition and food insecurity in Nigeria have been identified. These include climate change and environmental degradation, which disrupt agricultural practices and food production. Persistent insecurity across food-producing regions prevents farmers from accessing their farms, leading to reduced agricultural output. High inflation and the rising cost of living make it difficult for many Nigerians to afford nutritious food. Inadequate infrastructure for food storage, processing, and distribution further compounds the problem, leading to post-harvest losses and limiting access to food in various parts of the country. Finally, low public investment in both nutrition-sensitive and nutrition-specific interventions hinders efforts to address the root causes of malnutrition.
The organizers believe that by bringing together diverse stakeholders and fostering open dialogue, the summit can achieve concrete outcomes and contribute to a more coordinated and effective approach to tackling malnutrition and food insecurity in Nigeria. The summit represents a significant step towards addressing these pressing issues and improving the lives of vulnerable populations across the country. The House spokesman, Akin Rotimi, commended the committee’s commitment to improving nutrition and food security, highlighting the holistic approach being adopted, which considers interconnected factors such as climate change, environmental degradation, and low investment in the sector. The three-day summit aims to develop a multi-sectoral strategy that effectively addresses these intertwined challenges.
