Vice President Kashim Shettima says Nigeria has no business being poor because it is potentially one of the richest countries in the world.
He made the assertion on Friday while inaugurating the Nutrition Core Working Committee (NCWC), which will facilitate the work of the Nutrition Council of Nigeria.
He said the committee will provide the needed expertise for the work of the Nutrition Council of Nigeria.
“I welcome you to the inauguration of this all important committee that will serve as the intellectual power house 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,” the VP said, stressing that more needs to be done to ameliorate the situation.
FG moves to end malnutrition as VP @officialSKSM inaugurates core working committee
Full statement: https://t.co/rwlqDkunZU#StateHousePressRelease pic.twitter.com/EHteIvB1nD
— Presidency Nigeria (@NGRPresident) December 15, 2023
“I have some statistics here. With 33 per cent 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,” he added.
The vice president, therefore, implored the Nutrition Core Working Committee to work hard and change Nigeria’s narrative on nutrition.
“I wish to implore this committee to work hard but most importantly, I want to assure you that we are ready to work with you.
You are going to be our engine room, and you will have to drive the process,” he said.
Sustainable Actions
The Special Adviser to the Vice President on Public Health, Dr. Uju Okorocha, in an interview with State House correspondents, soon after the inauguration, said the committee would adhere to the directive of the vice president.
“His Excellency the Vice President inaugurated the Nutrition Core Working Committee and gave us an order to ensure that we take proactive and sustainable actions to be able to change the nutrition narrative here in the country.
A lot of that has to do with coordination across the different ministries, departments and agencies because as we know, nutrition cuts across Ministries of Agriculture, Education, Water resources, and Health as well.
So, it requires a coordinated and collaborative effort also with development partners, donors and civil society organizations. So, we have really taken on this task to deliver on the mandate that was given to us,” she stated.
Contributing, Zouwera Youssoufou, a member of the committee and Managing Director of the Lagos-based Aliko Dangote Foundation, disclosed that the committee will help drive the work of the National Council on Nutrition in collaborations with critical stakeholders.
“This is a committee that will support the National Council on Nutrition to really 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 assured.
Youssoufou further revealed that the NCWC will synergize its efforts in order to achieve results:
“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.”
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