Vice President Kashim Shettima has announced that the Federal Government will accelerate efforts to develop a National Food and Nutrition Bill aimed at protecting funding for nutrition programmes and ensuring greater accountability in the fight against malnutrition.

Shettima made the announcement on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, while speaking at the Nigeria-Ethiopia Nutrition Leadership Exchange Forum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The proposed legislation is expected to strengthen the government’s Nutrition 774 Initiative, which brings the federal, state and local governments together under a coordinated framework for tackling malnutrition at community level.

The Vice President said the move had become particularly important with nutrition committees already established in 32 state Houses of Assembly and similar committees operating in more than 450 local government areas.

According to Shettima, stronger legal backing would help protect nutrition financing and ensure that commitments made by governments continue even when administrations change.

He said Nigeria’s new National Policy on Food and Nutrition 2026–2035 has set targets to reduce the national stunting rate to 32 per cent by 2029, 28 per cent by 2032 and 25 per cent by 2035. The policy was adopted earlier this year by the National Council on Nutrition and was subsequently forwarded for Federal Executive Council consideration.

Shettima also highlighted the financial commitments already made towards tackling child malnutrition.

He said Nigeria’s $26 million commitment to the Child Nutrition Fund attracted matching support, bringing the available commitment to $52 million. He added that 21 states had collectively contributed $6.3 million since 2023 towards supplies for preventing and treating malnutrition.

The Vice President further disclosed plans for a proposed Presidential Nutrition Investment Fund, which he said would provide additional catalytic financing for nutrition interventions. A Nutrition Financing Subcommittee is also working to identify and mobilise more domestic resources.

Shettima said the scale of the challenge required urgent action, noting that government estimates put the proportion of Nigerian children under five affected by stunting at about 40 per cent. He also cited an estimated annual economic cost of $56 billion associated with undernutrition.

Under the Nutrition 774 framework, local government areas are expected to serve as important planning, financing and accountability units. The initiative brings together areas including healthcare, agriculture, social protection, water, sanitation, hygiene and education in an integrated approach to improving nutrition outcomes.

The Federal Government has also been working to strengthen state-level nutrition councils and delivery structures. Earlier in June, the Nutrition 774 Initiative Strategy Board adopted a domestic financing model as part of efforts to create a more sustainable system for funding nutrition programmes.

The Nigeria-Ethiopia forum provided an opportunity for both countries to exchange experiences on addressing malnutrition and improving food and nutrition security.

Ethiopia's Deputy Prime Minister, Temesgen Tiruneh, said sustained political commitment, financing and accountability were essential to achieving lasting improvements in nutrition.

Ethiopian Health Minister Dr Mekdes Daba also highlighted her country's Seqota Declaration, a national initiative launched to tackle child stunting and improve nutrition outcomes, particularly during the critical early years of a child's development.

The Nigerian delegation included senior government officials and state governors participating in discussions on nutrition financing, food systems, agriculture, healthcare and community-level interventions.

Beyond nutrition, Shettima also held discussions with Tiruneh on strengthening relations between Nigeria and Ethiopia, with areas including trade, investment, food security, aviation and security identified for deeper cooperation.

The Vice President's visit forms part of the broader Nigeria-Ethiopia Nutrition Leadership Exchange, which is taking place in Addis Ababa from October 7 to 9, 2026.

For Nigeria, the proposed Food and Nutrition Bill represents an attempt to move nutrition interventions beyond individual government programmes and establish a stronger institutional framework for long-term funding, implementation and accountability.

Reporting by TalkNaijaMedia