The National Council on Nutrition, at a virtual meeting anchored at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, approved a five-year nutrition action plan to guide the implementation of interventions and programmes against hunger and malnutrition across all sectors in Nigeria. If effectively implemented, the action plan, titled the “National Multi-Sectoral Plan of Action for Food and Nutrition (NMPFAN) 2021-2025, will reduce the proportion of people who suffer malnutrition by 50 percent and increase exclusive breastfeeding rate to 65 percent. It also aims to reduce stunting rate among under-five-year-olds to 18 percent by 2025 by scaling up impact nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions.

In an effort to further improve the wellbeing of citizens, a 5-year nutrition action plan that will guide the implementation of interventions and programmes to address the problems of hunger and malnutrition across all sectors in Nigeria has been approved by National Council on Nutrition.

The Council, chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, approved the action plan titled the “National Multi-Sectoral Plan of Action for Food and Nutrition (NMPFAN) 2021-2025” at its virtual meeting recently. Aside from the vice president who chairs the Council, membership includes Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, Health Minister, Minister of Water Resources, the Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, development partners, organized private sector, civil society organisations, and the former Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido, among others. The approved plan will reduce the proportion of people who suffer malnutrition by 50%; increase exclusive breastfeeding rate to 65%. It will also reduce stunting rate among under-five-year-olds to 18% by 2025 through the scaling up of priority high impact nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions. Relief Web