Shettima: Nigeria’ll Deepen Nutrition 774 With Lessons From Ethiopia

After a three-day exchange in Ethiopia, Nigeria's Vice President Kashim Shettima announced plans to intensify the country's Nutrition 774 Initiative. Shettima, who returned from the Nigeria-Ethiopia Nutrition Leadership Exchange in Addis Ababa and Oromia, stated that Ethiopia's experiences in combating malnutrition, strengthening food systems, and coordination of nutrition efforts across government levels will be adapted to Nigeria's specific context.

The focus will be on enhancing collaboration among federal, state, and local governments to improve nutrition outcomes at community and household levels. During his visit, Shettima met with Ethiopia's Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh to discuss bilateral relations and potential cooperation in agriculture, trade, investment, food security, aviation, and other areas.

At the exchange, which aimed to learn from one another, Shettima highlighted Nigeria's efforts to improve nutrition financing, accountability, and subnational implementation. He emphasized that better nutrition is essential for human capital development, productivity, and economic growth. The exchange included field visits to various Ethiopian farms, institutions, and early childhood development programs, with the aim of studying agricultural production, food systems, and value-chain development to link them with improved nutrition and livelihoods.

The final day of the programme focused on early childhood development, and the exchange concluded with a joint closing ceremony where both countries reaffirmed their commitment to ongoing cooperation and knowledge exchange on nutrition and development.