The Federal Government has taken a major step towards strengthening its food and nutrition framework by validating the revised National Policy on Food and Nutrition (NPFN).

This is even as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called on the federal government to shift from opinion-based to evidence-based policies. Speaking at the National Validation Meeting on the Revised National Policy on Food and Nutrition (NPFN) in Abuja on Monday, the Chief of Nutrition at UNICEF Nigeria, Ms. Nemat Hajeebhoy, expressed concern about Nigeria’s nutrition indicators, citing high rates of stunting, declining breastfeeding practices, severe acute malnutrition, and limited access to life-saving treatment.

At the meeting, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Dr. Deborah Odoh, charged development partners and stakeholders with actively ensuring that Nigeria’s food and nutrition policy aligns with the latest research, current realities, and global best practices.

Dr. Odoh emphasised the importance of the dialogue, describing it as a critical platform to identify gaps, address challenges, and harness opportunities to elevate Nigeria’s nutrition initiatives. She said, “Today’s dialogue is paramount as we seek to identify gaps, address challenges, and harness opportunities that will allow us to elevate our nutrition initiatives to new heights”.

She further noted that social protection programmes, health sector reforms, and interventions across education, water, sanitation and hygiene, and food systems are closely aligned to deliver improved nutrition outcomes, particularly for vulnerable people.

Odoh highlighted several government-led measures to strengthen the country’s food and nutrition ecosystem. These include revising the National Policy on Food and Nutrition, developing a nationwide multi-sectoral action plan for food and nutrition, enhancing coordination platforms at national and state levels, and improving data systems to support evidence-based decision-making.

The Permanent Secretary also expressed deep appreciation to development partners within and outside the country, particularly those who provided technical support throughout the review process.

While delivering her goodwill message, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Health, Mrs. Uju Rochas Anwuka, underscored the persistent gap between policy and practice, noting that the policy review offers an opportunity to correct course and sharpen the focus on implementation that reaches grassroots communities, households, and children.

She emphasised that policies only matter when they work, a principle that informed the launch of Nutrition 774 by the National Council on Nutrition.

Goodwill messages from the Aliko Dangote Foundation, the National Assembly, the Nigeria Governor’s Forum, the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, and the Commissioners of Budget and Economic Planning in the 36 states of Nigeria all emphasised that Nigeria’s double burden of malnutrition, comprising overnutrition and undernutrition, requires a robust framework, describing the revised policy as key to unlocking the nation’s potential. They all pledged their continued support and commitment to advancing nutrition outcomes.

During her welcome remarks, the Director of Food and Nutrition, Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Mrs. Clementina Okoro, acknowledged Nigeria’s progress under the first and second editions of the National Policy on Food and Nutrition. However, she noted that malnutrition remains unacceptably high.

According to her, the current revision reflects the government’s Renewed Hope Agenda and renewed commitment to tackling food insecurity, which continues to constrain national productivity and human development.

She explained that the primary objective of the validation meeting was to gather final stakeholder input on the draft National Policy on Food and Nutrition (2026–2035), which is central to achieving national goals of reducing all forms of malnutrition and addressing food and nutrition challenges over the next decade.