The Nigeria Governors' Forum will establish a National Nutrition Intervention Fund to support the Nutrition 774 Initiative in all 774 local government areas, according to a statement issued Saturday in Abuja by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to Vice President Kashim Shettima on Media and Communications.
A national commitment
Zamfara Governor Dauda Lawal announced the proposed fund in Ethiopia as he read the NGF-Addis Ababa Commitment on Nutrition. He said governors from the federation's 36 states had resolved to “declare war on hunger” and launch a nationwide nutrition emergency.
“This massive mobilisation will establish a powerful National Nutrition Intervention Fund to instantly advance Nigeria's ambitious Nutrition 774 Initiative across every single local government area in Nigeria,” Lawal said. The fund, he said, would incentivise leadership at state level, encourage increased domestic investment, reward effective implementation and support measurable improvements in nutrition outcomes.
The announcement followed a three-day Nigeria-Ethiopia Nutrition Leadership Exchange. A Nigerian delegation led by Vice President Kashim Shettima studied Ethiopia's nutrition delivery, including its Seqota Declaration. Lawal described the effort as “From lessons to commitment: Accelerating Implementation of the Nutrition 774 Initiative.”
Governors pledged to strengthen domestic financing, deepen accountability at the grassroots and institutionalise a unified framework for nutrition planning and budgeting, Lawal said. The exchange, he added, underscored sustained political leadership, coordination across sectors and ownership at every level of government.
How governments would carry it out
On 20 February 2025, the three tiers of government signed the Nutrition Compact, establishing a common commitment to tackle malnutrition. The NGF chairman signed for the 36 states, while the President of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria signed for the 774 local governments.
Muyi Aina, Chief Executive Officer of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, said the federal government would start targeted nutrition interventions in two states. The federal team would choose them based on their stunting burden, set objectives and develop multisectoral interventions suited to their needs.
Relevant ministers and federal agencies would work with governors and their teams to identify sectoral priorities and determine each tier of government's responsibilities, Aina said. The governments would cost the plan and work toward a joint financing arrangement, while measurable indicators would track progress. “We will track very rigorously progress in the execution of the plan,” he said.
Aina said the delegation had learned from Ethiopia's agricultural transformation, early childhood development programmes and data-driven initiatives. He identified clear vision and leadership, alignment across the three tiers of government, evidence-based prioritisation, rigorous measurement and disciplined execution as essential to sustainable results.
Accountability and implementation
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare Muhammad Pate said the exchange offered lessons in turning political commitments into practical action and measurable nutrition outcomes. He identified focused sectoral action, an implementation roadmap, performance matrices and accountability as critical to accelerating Nigeria's response to malnutrition.
The federal government will work with states to turn the exchange commitments into practical interventions, Pate said. Officials will report progress to the vice president through the National Council on Nutrition. He said federal and state governments, communities and development partners would be needed to achieve sustainable results, and expressed confidence that Nigeria could adapt Ethiopia's experience to its own circumstances.
Ethiopia's Minister of Health, Mekdes Daba, commended Nigeria's commitment to strengthening nutrition delivery. She called the leadership exchange a practical example of African countries learning from one another and described the Nutrition 774 Initiative as a significant national commitment. The announcement sets out a nationwide funding ambition; the first targeted federal interventions are planned for two states.