The Federal Government has officially launched the “Nutrition 774 Initiative” in Plateau State, a strategic intervention aimed at tackling the rising burden of malnutrition, particularly among children under five.
The initiative was inaugurated on Tuesday in Jos by the Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Public Health, Mrs. Uju Rochas-Anwukah, who underscored the urgency of addressing malnutrition as a silent but deadly national emergency.
“We are here for one reason—to introduce the Nutrition 774 Initiative, which addresses a critical societal issue dear to Mr President,” Rochas-Anwukah said, adding that malnutrition kills quietly, “without trending online or screaming like gunfire, yet it destroys more dreams than conflict.”
She revealed that one in every three Nigerian children under five is either stunted or wasted, and almost half of under-five deaths are linked to malnutrition. Despite Plateau State’s agricultural richness, she noted that the region is not spared from this hidden health crisis.
The presidential aide described the initiative as “government-led, community-driven, and results-focused,” calling on local government chairmen, traditional rulers, religious leaders, NGOs, and civil society actors to throw their weight behind the programme.
“Malnutrition ignores religion, ethnicity, and tribe. It speaks the language of inequality and poverty. We must respond with urgency, unity, and a clear strategy,” she urged.
She further appealed to the Plateau State Government to ensure the timely release of counterpart funding to sustain and scale the initiative.
In his remarks, Plateau State Governor Barr. Caleb Mutfwang, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Samuel Jatau, welcomed the programme as part of the National Policy on Food and Nutrition. He said it aligns with the state’s ongoing efforts to improve public health outcomes, especially at the grassroots level.
“This initiative will allow for both nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions across ministries, departments, and agencies,” Jatau said.
To facilitate smooth implementation, the governor also inaugurated the State Council on Nutrition, which he chairs. The council includes the ALGON chairman, commissioners for health, planning, information, finance, agriculture, water resources, energy, education, and food security.
