By David Okoh
In a landmark push to combat Nigeria’s deepening hunger crisis, the House of Representatives is set to host a high-level summit themed “Curbing Malnutrition and Food Insecurity Through Effective Synergies” as part of its Green Chamber Open Week activities.
Announcing the initiative at a press conference on Thursday, Hon. Chike Okafor, Chairman of the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, described the summit as a turning point in Nigeria’s long battle with malnutrition—particularly among children under five, pregnant women, and rural communities.
Okafor lamented that despite decades of policies and interventions, Nigeria remains plagued by alarming malnutrition rates due to insecurity in farming regions, climate change, poor infrastructure, inflation, and chronic underinvestment in nutrition-sensitive programmes.
“This summit is not just another ceremonial event,” Okafor declared. “It is a rallying call for coordinated, results-driven action.”
The summit will bring together top stakeholders from government, development agencies, and the private sector to forge unified legislative and policy responses. It will spotlight innovative financing solutions, such as public-private partnerships, and push for resilient food systems that can withstand economic and environmental shocks.
A key objective is to strengthen parliamentary oversight, enhance donor alignment with legislative priorities, and drive improved budgetary accountability for nutrition-related programmes.
Lawmakers are optimistic that the summit will lead to a stronger legislative framework and a shift from rhetoric to measurable results in Nigeria’s nutrition and food security landscape.
