FG, First Lady partner international organisations to tackle hunger, child malnutrition

Food

ABUJA, Nigeria (Agency Report) — The Federal Government has partnered with international organisations and philanthropic institutions to strengthen efforts to combat hunger and child malnutrition across Nigeria.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, disclosed this on Monday at the State House, Abuja, when he led a delegation to seek collaboration with the First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, on addressing hunger and malnutrition.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has established a strategic partnership with the First Lady’s Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) to strengthen interventions aimed at eliminating hunger and tackling child malnutrition.

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Pate reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to addressing both acute and chronic malnutrition through existing policies, programmes and intervention frameworks.

He identified National Community Food Bank programmes and similar initiatives implemented by state and local governments as important mechanisms for providing nutritional support to vulnerable Nigerians.

The minister said stronger collaboration among government institutions, international organisations and philanthropic partners would help improve access to nutritious food and reduce the burden of malnutrition nationwide.

Responding, Tinubu said President Bola Tinubu’s administration had continued to implement programmes and interventions aimed at improving citizens’ welfare and addressing hunger and food insecurity.

She said the government had introduced several support initiatives, including food bank programmes, to tackle malnutrition among children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers.

According to the First Lady, the intervention is being driven by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in collaboration with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and the Bank of Agriculture.

She said the programme was designed to provide immediate nutritional support to children under six, pregnant women and lactating mothers across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.

Tinubu said the initiative would complement existing government efforts to protect vulnerable groups, particularly mothers and young children who face heightened risks from inadequate nutrition.

William Moore, Chief Executive Officer of Operation End Starvation (OES), described the organisation as an initiative backed by a major grant from the United States and contributions from international philanthropists.

Moore said OES aimed to mobilise more than $1 billion annually to prevent child deaths caused by starvation and address the underlying factors contributing to severe malnutrition.

He said Nigeria had been identified as a primary location for demonstrating how large-scale investments, implemented through direct partnerships with governments, could deliver measurable results in tackling hunger within the next two years.

Kara Weiss, co-founder of OES, said effective interventions against malnutrition were cost-effective but had historically been constrained by systemic challenges, including supply chain inefficiencies and a lack of transparency in the delivery of assistance.

Weiss said the organisation had therefore chosen to work directly with the government to ensure that nutritional interventions reached communities and individuals most affected by hunger and malnutrition.

She added that collaboration with government institutions would improve coordination, strengthen accountability and ensure resources were directed towards vulnerable communities requiring urgent nutritional assistance.

Members of the delegation included Dr Muyi Aina, Executive Director of the NPHCDA; Moore; Weiss; and Dr Adetokunbo Oshin, Senior Programme Director at Big Wing Philanthropy, among others.

(NAN)