The National Council on Nutrition (NCN) has adopted the National Policy on Food and Nutrition (NPFN) for 2026 to 2035.
The adoption followed decisions made at the council’s 15th meeting, held virtually on Tuesday in Abuja and chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
The council’s approval came after extensive consultation and ratification by key stakeholders in Nigeria’s nutrition sector, including both public and private sponsors.
The council directed the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning to present the policy to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for ratification.
Shettima emphasized the human impact behind the statistics discussed at the meeting, noting, “Behind every number is a Nigerian child whose future depends on what the government does—or fails to do—in the months ahead. We will be judged not by our deliberations but by our deliveries. Not by what we decided in April 2026, but by what mothers and children in the 774 local government areas experience by 2035.”
Describing the NPFN 2026–2035 as “the most consequential nutrition policy this country has produced,” Shettima added, “It is multi-sectoral by design, evidence-based by discipline, and grassroots by orientation. It is not a Federal Ministry document; it belongs to every ministry, state, LGA, ward, and household represented in this council.”
The council also instructed every nutrition-relevant Ministry, Department, and Agency to align sectoral policies, plans, and budgets with the policy within 12 months. All 36 states and the FCT were directed to operationalize State Multisectoral Plans of Action for Food and Nutrition within six to nine months.
Additionally, the council approved extending the timeline for submitting a draft National Nutrition Bill by six weeks, requiring it to reach the National Assembly within eight weeks. Shettima praised the ad hoc committee overseeing the draft, saying, “Council approves the requested extension. It also reaffirms that the Bill must be transmitted to the National Assembly within eight weeks from today.”
The council approved the inclusion of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, the Commissioners of Finance Forum, and the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in the sub-committee. Shettima commended the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare for the sub-committee’s work, which identified five financing streams: domestic, bilateral, multilateral, private sector, and innovative.
The sub-committee will coordinate closely with the Nutrition 774 Strategic Board to avoid duplication and reinforce efforts across initiatives.
