29/07/2025
10 states.
90+ stakeholders.
One thing on everyone’s mind: nutrition, a key to health, equity, and development in Nigeria.
For two days in Lagos, the room was full. Not just with people, but with passion, data, stories, and maybe even a few quiet frustrations. But also… determination.
We had legislators, permanent secretaries, directors, CSOs, nutrition experts, media, and development partners.
People who had come from all corners of the country. People who’ve seen, firsthand, what malnutrition looks like when it’s not just a statistic.
We debated. Listened. Compared state performance. Pushed back and made new connections. Some of us argued. Others took notes quietly. But mostly, we built.
We looked at the N774 Initiative. We talked about funding gaps. And whether six months of maternity leave should still be up for debate in 2025. And in the middle of all that, one thing kept coming up: structure. We pressed for the creation of proper Nutrition Departments or Units within key MDAs, not because it's trendy or looks good on paper, but because someone has to own it and drive it every day down to the grassroots. Everyone had a perspective. That was the point.
And something shifted. It felt different from just another policy gathering.
Because this time, the result wasn’t just more dialogue.
It was 37 solid and actionable commitments, written down and signed by lawmakers who now have deadlines, targets, and, well, public expectations hanging over them.
And the money? An estimated ₦124.3 billion in pledged investments, budgets, counterpart funds, and constituency allocations. It’s a bold claim. But maybe that’s what we need more of.
Are we celebrating? Yes, absolutely. But we’re also watching and staying close.
This is not the kind of retreat where you shake hands, take a group photo, and move on.
We will be following up. Because of those 37 commitments? They mean something. Or at least they should.
Special appreciation to UNICEF Nigeria their strategic support throughout this process and to all the development partners, International and FHI 360 , who continue to walk this journey with us.
In the coming days, we’ll be sharing the specific commitments made by each state. One at a time. Let’s hold them up. Let’s cheer when they move. And let’s ask the hard questions when they don’t.
Because nutrition is not a side issue. It is the whole point.
