Federal Government is intensifying efforts to scale up maternal, infant, and young child nutrition nationwide, with renewed plans to extend services to all 774 local government areas under the Nutrition 774 Initiative.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate, represented by the Director and Head of Nutrition, Mrs. Ladidi Aiyegbusi, made this known at the National Dissemination Meeting organised by Alive & Thrive on Accelerating the Scale of Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition Project in Abuja.
Mrs. Aiyegbusi commended Alive & Thrive and its partners for sustaining four years of impactful work that has improved nutrition outcomes in Bauchi, Sokoto, Kaduna, Kano, Lagos, and other focal states.
She explained that the project had deepened understanding of the challenges faced by mothers, caregivers, and frontline health workers, while showcasing the impact of strengthened systems, consistent interventions, and community engagement.
Highlighting key achievements, she listed improved infant and young-child feeding counselling at health facilities and communities,training of over 9,000 advocates between August 2023 and December 2024, and Nationwide expansion of the MYCIN strategy following approval by the National Council on Health,
Others are strengthened behaviour-change systems at community level, technical support for maternity and paternity leave advocacy, and Development of multiple micronutrient supplement roadmaps and training materials, now cascaded to 10 states.
She reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to institutionalising lessons from the project to ensure nutrition services reach every household, stressing that progress requires multi-sectoral collaboration, strong partner support, and community ownership.
Project Director, Alive & Thrive, Dr. Victor Ogbodo, said the initiative had strengthened nutrition policies, trained frontline workers, promoted breastfeeding and complementary feeding, and executed mass-media campaigns that improved child-nutrition awareness.
He appreciated the Federal Government and donor partners, particularly the Gates Foundation, for their leadership and support, pledging continued commitment to sustaining the gains.
Also speaking, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Health, Dr. Uju Rochas Anwukah, said the project aligns with government priorities, especially at the community level. She noted that the outcomes would be presented to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima as evidence of strong partner commitment to tackling malnutrition.
Chairman, House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, Mr. Chike Okafor, assured of legislative backing to expand nutrition interventions, adding that the Committee is working with ministries, agencies, and development partners to strengthen systems across all 774 LGAs.
Stakeholders at the meeting unanimously called for sustained collaboration, improved funding, and community-led approaches to secure a healthier future for mothers and children across Nigeria.
RN
