ALGON, FG Strengthen Nutrition 774 Drive Across Local Governments

The Federal Government and the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening the implementation of the Nutrition 774 (N-774) Initiative across Nigeria’s 774 Local Government Areas, with renewed efforts aimed at tackling malnutrition and improving food security at the grassroots.

The renewed commitment was made on Friday, July 17, during a courtesy visit by the National Executive Committee of ALGON to the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where Vice President Kashim Shettima urged local government chairmen to take ownership of the initiative and ensure it delivers measurable improvements in communities nationwide.

Shettima described local government councils as the closest tier of government to the people, saying they are strategically positioned to drive nutrition interventions where they are needed most.

“I believe that strengthening the Local Government Committees on Food and Nutrition presents an important opportunity to reinforce this governance framework.”

“These committees should become centres of planning, coordination, implementation and accountability within every Local Government Area,” Shettima said.

He added, “I urge ALGON to drive this process with determination so that every council develops functional structures capable of delivering measurable improvements in nutrition at the community level.”

The Nutrition 774 Initiative is a flagship Federal Government programme designed to improve nutritional outcomes in every one of Nigeria’s 774 local government areas through coordinated interventions involving health, agriculture, education, water, sanitation and social protection.

The initiative also seeks to strengthen Local Government Committees on Food and Nutrition, improve institutional collaboration, build implementation capacity, reinforce monitoring mechanisms and promote accountability at the grassroots.

According to the Vice President, President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to nutrition goes beyond policy declarations and requires active implementation across all levels of government.

“The commitment of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to nutrition is a governance directive.”

“Strengthening every tier of government is the pathway through which that directive becomes operational.”

“National concern must become institutional action, institutional action must become measurable outcomes, and measurable outcomes must be reflected in healthier families, stronger communities, and children whose opportunities in life are no longer constrained by preventable malnutrition,” he said.

While acknowledging efforts made by state governments to improve nutrition outcomes, Shettima noted that many local government areas still lack a coordinated nutrition agenda, creating implementation gaps.

“Our state governments have made commendable contributions to improving nutrition outcomes.”

“However, the absence of a coherent nutrition agenda across many Local Government Areas has created a significant gap within the governance framework established by the National Policy on Food and Nutrition.”

“National ambitions cannot flourish if they lose momentum before reaching the communities they were designed to serve,” he added.

The Vice President also commended ALGON for supporting the rollout of the initiative, including the validation of pilot local government areas and collaboration with the Nutrition Technical Team and development partners to strengthen implementation nationwide.

Speaking on behalf of the association, ALGON National President Bello Lawal assured the Federal Government of the association’s readiness to ensure the programme succeeds across all councils.

Lawal said the initiative would strengthen local food systems by increasing agricultural productivity, reducing post-harvest losses, improving storage and processing capacity, supporting household farming and promoting local agricultural value chains capable of boosting food availability and household incomes.

“On behalf of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, I assure Your Excellency that ALGON will continue to provide the leadership required to ensure that the objectives of Nutrition 774 translate into measurable improvements in the lives of our citizens,” Lawal said.

He further appealed for the inclusion of nutrition services for pregnant women and children in the National Health Insurance Scheme benefit package under the initiative and called for greater recognition of ALGON and the country’s 774 local government councils as full partners in national development programmes.

Lawal also pledged that local councils would intensify awareness campaigns involving traditional rulers, religious leaders, women and youth groups to make proper nutrition a shared community responsibility.

Nutrition 774 was launched as a national strategy to tackle malnutrition through coordinated action across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas, with implementation driven by collaboration among the Federal Government, state governments, local councils and development partners.