House of Reps to Inaugurate Local Organizing Committee on Nutrition and Food Security

The Federal House of Representatives is set to inaugurate a local organizing committee on Nutrition and Food Security. 

The event, which will hold on 31st October, 2024, convened by Hon. Chike Okafor, Ph.D., Chairman of the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, underscores the legislative commitment to secure sustainable nutrition and food access across the nation.

This committee inauguration follows the establishment of the National Legislative Network on Nutrition and Food Security, launched on July 22, 2024. 

With a dual mandate, the network fosters collaboration between federal and state legislators to meet the country’s nutrition and food security objectives, thereby tackling Nigeria’s twin crises of malnutrition and food insecurity.

Hon. Okafor in a press release, emphasized the committee’s mandate, aligning with the National Legislative Network’s mission to strengthen nutrition and food security initiatives nationwide. 

“We are committed to advancing legislative measures to support food security and nutrition across Nigeria, working closely with both national and state partners,” he stated.

This inauguration will also serve as a formal presentation of the upcoming National Summit on Nutrition and Food Security, scheduled for December 2024, aimed at consolidating strategies for food security nationwide.

The event will host a variety of national and international stakeholders, including the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari; Honorable Speaker of the House, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen;

and representatives from the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, and the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.

Additionally, guests are expected from global organizations, including Save the Children, the World Bank, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Nutrition International, Helen Keller International, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Oxfam, the World Food Program, Aliko Dangote Foundation, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN).

The summit indicates Nigeria’s drive toward a more resilient and sustainable food system, offering a platform for collaboration among policymakers, non-profits, and international development partners.