Vice President Kashim Shettima on Friday urged local government chairmen across the country to accelerate the full roll‑out of the nation’s Nutrition 774 (N‑774) initiative, saying stronger grassroots structures are essential to translate national policies into better health outcomes.
Speaking at the Presidential Villa in Abuja during a courtesy call from the National Executive Committee of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Vice President Shettima directed the association to activate and fortify Local Government Committees on Food and Nutrition so they function as “centres of planning, coordination, implementation and accountability” in every council.
“The commitment of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to nutrition is a governance directive,” the Vice President said.
“Strengthening every tier of government is the pathway through which that directive becomes operational.”
He added that national policy must convert into “measurable outcomes” — healthier families, stronger communities and children no longer constrained by preventable malnutrition.
Shettima described the push as part of a broader effort to revitalize local governance.
He said state governments have made “commendable contributions,” but warned that the absence of a coherent nutrition agenda in many Local Government Areas creates a governance gap that undermines impact where it matters most.
“Local government chairmen are the closest tier of government to the people,” he said, describing them as first responders to community challenges and urging ALGON to “drive this process with determination” so every council develops functional structures capable of delivering measurable improvements in nutrition.
He lauded ALGON’s pledge to support the N‑774 rollout, including ongoing validation of pilot local governments and coordination with the Nutrition Technical Team and development partners.
The Vice President urged the local government leaders to sustain institutional collaboration, expand capacity, improve monitoring and reinforce accountability across all 774 councils.
“History will judge public office holders not by the length of their tenure,” Shettima told the ALGON executives, urging a focus on tangible outcomes at the grassroots level.
