The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep Tajuden Abbass, on Wednesday unveiled a handbook developed by the Nigerian office of Nutrition International, for the legislative framework and tools for strengthening the National Legislative Network on Nutrition and Food Security.
The National Legislative Network on Nutrition and Food Security comprises the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, as well as the chairpersons and clerks of the Committee on Nutrition and Food Security in the 36 State Houses of Assembly.
Speaking at the launch, Abbas, who was represented by the Deputy Chief Whip of the House, Rep Ibrahim Isiaka, called for a doubling of effort by the National Assembly and State House of Assembly towards increasing budgetary allocation to combat malnutrition and improve food security.
He said: “As lawmakers, we have a constitutional duty to create the legal and budgetary environment that allows every Nigerian child to grow strong, every mother to be nourished, and every household to be food secure. The frameworks we launch today are not just documents; they are tools of transformation. They will strengthen our capacity to legislate, appropriate, and conduct oversight on nutrition and food security issues, both at the national and sub-national levels.
“I therefore charge all members of the National Legislative Network on Nutrition and Food Security to redouble efforts. Let us champion legislative reforms that reduce malnutrition, strengthen food systems, and secure the well-being of every Nigerian. Let this gathering signal a renewed commitment to the global Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 2: Zero Hunger. Together, we can make Nigeria a country where no child sleeps hungry, and where nutrition is recognised as the foundation of national strength”.
The Speaker commended the Rep. Chike Okafor-led House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security and development partners on the rigorous work done to ensure that Nigeria effectively combats hunger and malnutrition sustainably.
He said: “Over the past six months, our committees and partners embarked on a rigorous process of research, documentation, and stakeholder engagement across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. These engagements helped to capture the diverse realities, challenges, and opportunities in improving nutrition outcomes in our country. The results are before us today: a set of comprehensive Legislative Frameworks and Tools that will guide the work of the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, as well as Committees in all 36 State Houses of Assembly.
“This achievement is timely and strategic. I am pleased to note that, through deliberate advocacy and policy prioritization, we have recorded increased budgetary allocations for nutrition and food security in the 2025 national and state budgets. This demonstrates that the Legislature is not merely a bystander but an active driver of Nigeria’s quest for human capital development.
“ I must therefore commend the robust oversight activities of the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, ably led by Hon Deacon Chike Okafor, PhD, and members of the committee, for working so hard to ensure transparency, accountability, and effectiveness in the implementation of nutrition-related interventions nationwide. I must also commend our partners in progress, Nutrition International which, with the help of Global Affairs, Canada, provided the requisite technical assistance needed to boost committee members’ legislative capacity for coordination, and policy and resource mobilization, in order to create a framework that will guide appropriation and disbursement of monies for programs and projects on malnutrition, across different sectors and agencies of government”.
Earlier in his welcome address, Rep. Okafor stressed the commitment of the National Legislative Network on Nutrition and Food Security to stick to handbook developed in collaboration with Nutrition International, describing it as a workable guideline.
He said: “The compelling need to build the capacity of legislators in the committees of nutrition and food security across Nigeria led to a series of activities by the network, supported by Nutrition International’s technical assistance. These activities resulted in the development of essential documents and toolkits designed to enhance the work of the committees.
“Nutrition International’s technical assistance included an assessment of the functionality of the newly created committees on nutrition and food security in selected State Houses of Assembly across Nigeria, and an assessment of legislator’s knowledge of key nutrition issues as part of a capacity needs assessment. These were conducted through qualitative and quantitative surveys, resulting in the evidence-based development of a capacity development plan, a legislative framework for nutrition in
“Nigeria and a functional legislative tool kit for nutrition and food security. The toolkit will guide committee members on stakeholder roles and responsibilities, resource mobilisation, budgeting, expenditure tracking, legislative oversight, accountability and value for money”.
Also speaking at the event, Uju Rochas Anwukah, the Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Public Health assured the network of the continued support from the Presidency.
Anwukah, the focal person for Nutrition in the Office of the Vice President, stated that the 744 Initiative from the Federal Government highlights the importance of deploying a bottom-up approach to addressing the challenges of malnutrition and food insecurity.
“I commend the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, the National Legislative Network for Nutrition and Food Security, our development partners, including Nutrition International for recognising that effective legislation is the lasting backbone for change”, she said.
The N774 Initiative is a Federal Government programme targeted at revitalising and incentivising local action to improve food security, health, and nutrition in Nigeria.
In his remarks, the Country Director for Nutrition International, Dr Osita Okonkwo, reassured that the NGO will ensure the implementation of the newly launched legislative framework and tools handbook.
