Nigeria Establishes National Food Bank to Combat Child Malnutrition

The Nigerian government has unveiled a national campaign to create awareness for a Community Food Bank Programme, targeting child malnutrition among children below the age of six across the country.

This initiative was officially launched in Abuja on Tuesday at the inaugural National Traditional and Religious Leaders Summit, as noted in a statement from Busola Kukoyi, the Senior Special Assistant on Media in the Office of the First Lady.

This program represents a collaborative effort involving the Office of the First Lady, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), all focused on curbing malnutrition among young children nationwide.

First Lady Oluremi Tinubu characterized the initiative as a systematic approach to facilitate access to safe and nutritious food for at-risk children.

Mrs. Tinubu mentioned that her office is teaming up with the Bank of Industry, the Bank of Agriculture, and various partners to implement the program, which is set to launch in April 2026.

The scheme aims to enhance community nutrition support, increase accessibility to safe and healthy food for vulnerable children, and significantly contribute to the country's efforts to eradicate child malnutrition.

The programme will depend on Primary Health Centres nationwide to identify and register eligible families with children under six years old. Caregivers will be provided with counseling as well as food vouchers that they can exchange for locally sourced nutritious food at designated community food banks positioned near health centres.

Funding for the initiative will come from a Trust Fund backed by private sector collaborators and individual donors. To ensure transparency, the Trust Fund will be managed by reputable Nigerian individuals. The First Lady emphasized the need for support from traditional and religious leaders to promote awareness and ensure that no qualifying family is overlooked as the program is rolled out nationwide.

Additionally, she announced that the advocacy campaign will progress through all six geopolitical zones of Nigeria, commencing with the North-east in Borno State.

The Malnutrition Challenge in Nigeria

Malnutrition is a key underlying factor contributing to child mortality, accounting for nearly half of all deaths among children under five years old.

UNICEF reports that Nigeria possesses the second highest number of stunted children globally, with around two million children under five suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), though only two out of every ten receiving treatment.

National surveys reveal that approximately one in three Nigerian children under the age of five is stunted, which adversely affects both physical growth and cognitive development. This crisis is also evident in the rates of wasting and underweight children. According to Global Nutrition data, about seven percent of Nigerian children under five are classified as wasted, indicating they are significantly underweight for their height due to recent and severe weight loss.

Emphasizing Human Resources

During the summit, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammed Pate, highlighted that this partnership underscores the government's acknowledgment of the importance of human resources in the advancement and evolution of the nation. He stated that without its people, even vast resources such as infrastructure, oil, gold, or diamonds would hold no significance.

Furthermore, he expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for approving this historic summit of traditional and religious leaders, illustrating the president’s acknowledgment of their pivotal role in fostering the health and welfare of Nigerians.

Mr. Pate remarked, "Before the Nigerian State, there is a Nigerian Nation; before a Nigerian Nation, there are the Nigerian people. This is why the President prioritizes the health sector in every aspect."

He also acknowledged the First Lady for her substantial contributions to the health sector, particularly regarding women and children's health.

Support from Traditional Leaders

The Ooni of Ife, Enitan Ogunwusi, spoke at the event, indicating that the assembly of traditional and religious leaders represents a proactive strategy to tackle health-related challenges. He noted that sustained follow-up actions and peer reviews would be essential for achieving positive outcomes.

Notable partners in the initiative, such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Bank, also expressed their views on the importance of traditional and religious leaders in attaining universal health coverage within Nigeria.