The Nigerian government has launched a national advocacy and awareness campaign for a Community Food Bank Programme to tackle malnutrition among children under six nationwide.
The initiative was launched in Abuja on Tuesday during the first National Traditional and Religious Leaders Summit, according to a statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the Office of the First Lady on Media, Busola Kukoyi.
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The programme is a joint initiative of the Office of the First Lady, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) to address child malnutrition nationwide.
Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, described the programme as a coordinated effort to improve access to safe and nutritious food for vulnerable children.
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How the programme will work
Mrs Tinubu said her office is also collaborating with the Bank of Industry, the Bank of Agriculture, and other partners to launch the initiative, which will be rolled out in April 2026.
She said the programme is designed to strengthen community nutrition support, improve access to safe and nutritious food for vulnerable children, and contribute meaningfully to the national response to ending child malnutrition.
She explained that the scheme will operate through Primary Health Centres nationwide, where eligible families with children under six will be identified and registered.
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Caregivers, she said, will receive counselling and food vouchers redeemable for locally grown, nutritious food at designated community food banks located near health centres.
She added that the initiative will be funded through a Trust Fund supported by private sector partners and individual donors.
“To ensure accountability, the Trust Fund will be overseen by credible Nigerians. We will be needing a lot of support from you, our revered traditional and religious leaders, to raise awareness and sensitise households to ensure no eligible family is left behind as we roll out the programme nationwide.”
She also announced that the advocacy campaign would move across the country’s six geopolitical zones, beginning with the North-east in Borno State.
Malnutrition crisis in Nigeria
Malnutrition remains a major underlying cause of child mortality, contributing to nearly half of all deaths among children under five.
According to UNICEF, the country has the second-largest number of stunted children globally, with an estimated two million children under five affected by Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), but only two out of every 10 children affected are currently reached with treatment.
National surveys show that roughly one in three Nigerian children under five is stunted, a condition that impairs physical growth and cognitive development.
The crisis is also reflected in wasting and underweight rates. Data from Global Nutrition indicate that about seven per cent of Nigerian children under five are wasted, meaning they are too thin for their height due to recent and severe weight loss.
‘People are our greatest asset’
In his remarks, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammed Pate, said the partnership reflects the government’s recognition of the central role of human resources in the growth and development of any nation.
Mr Pate said that without the people of Nigeria, no infrastructure, oil, gold, or diamond will actually matter.
He thanked President Bola Tinubu for approving the first-ever summit of traditional and religious leaders, describing it as evidence of the president’s belief in their role in improving the health and well-being of Nigerians.
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“Before the Nigerian State, there is a Nigerian Nation, before a Nigerian Nation, there is the Nigerian people. And that is why Mr President prioritises the health sector in all ramifications,” he said.
The minister also commended the First Lady for her contributions to the health sector,, especially in child and women’s health.
Traditional rulers back initiative
In his remarks, the Ooni of Ife, Enitan Ogunwusi, said the gathering of traditional and religious leaders signalled a more practical approach to addressing health challenges.
Mr Ogunwusi noted that beyond the flag-off, sustained follow-up and peer review would be necessary to achieve results.
Development partners, including the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Bank, also made remarks at the event, describing traditional and religious leaders as central to achieving universal health coverage in Nigeria.
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