Vice President Kashim Shettima has revealed that Nigeria loses $2.5 billion annually due to the 33% prevalence of chronic malnutrition in the country.
Shettima made this assertion on Friday while inaugurating the Nutrition Core Working Committee (NCWC), which will facilitate the work of the Nutrition Council of Nigeria.
The Vice President further stated that out of 100 kids under the age of five in Nigeria, only 88 survive, adding that a child born in Nigeria has a 36 per cent chance of reaching the age of 60.
To this end, the Vice President implored the Nutrition Core Working Committee to work hard and change Nigeria’s narrative on nutrition, adding that Nigeria has no business being poor because it is potentially one of the richest countries in the world.
“I welcome you to the inauguration of this all-important committee that will serve as the intellectual powerhouse that will provide the expertise and technical competence to the National Council on Nutrition. As far as I am concerned, you are the people that will draw the roadmap for us.
“As I have always said, we have no business being poor. We are potentially one of the richest countries in the world, but we have so far remained a potential. This is why I am very passionate about this committee.
“I have some statistics here. With a 33% prevalence of chronic malnutrition in this country, accounting for $2.5 billion annually in losses, out of 100 kids under the age of five in Nigeria, only 88 survive. And beyond that, a child born in Nigeria has – I think – 36 per cent chance of reaching the age of 60,” Shettima stated.
After the inauguration of the Nutrition Core Working Committee, the Special Adviser to the Vice President on Public Health, Dr. Uju Okorocha, spoke with State House correspondents, stating that the committee would take sustainable actions to change the nutrition narrative in Nigeria.
According to Okorocha, the committee would ensure coordinated and collaborative efforts across different ministries, departments, and agencies, as well as with development partners, donors and civil society organisations to curb the prevalence of malnutrition in the country.
Contributing to the discourse, Zouwera Youssoufou, a member of the committee and Managing Director of the Lagos-based Aliko Dangote Foundation, stated that the committee will support the National Council on Nutrition in the fight against malnutrition.
“This is a committee that will support the National Council on Nutrition to help drive this agenda in Nigeria.
“The vice president has given us a marching order on drawing up a workable and fundable plan, and that is what we will go and deliver,” she said.
She further disclosed that the committee will energize its efforts to achieve results, saying: “ Right now there are a lot of silo efforts going on. Some are working on prevention; some are working on agriculture and many more.
“And really, the idea is how to put everybody’s effort together so that we see ourselves all moving in the same direction and together count the impact of what we are doing.”
