Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, has inaugurated the Abia State Council on Nutrition as part of the state’s commitment to the Federal Government’s Nutrition 774 (N-774) Initiative. The Council, inaugurated on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, will provide strategic leadership, policy direction, and oversight for the effective implementation of nutrition-related activities across the state.
Governor Otti described the initiative as a timely and welcomed development, especially in the face of growing nutritional challenges in the country. He emphasized that Abia State has already been making significant investments in sectors that directly impact nutrition, including health and education, which collectively received 35% of the state’s total budget in the last two years.
The Governor stated that although these investments are yielding positive outcomes, the state had not been deliberate in tracking nutrition indicators. He noted that the advocacy visit by the National Technical Working Group, led by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Health and Focal Person for Nutrition 774, Dr. Uju Rochas-Anwukah, has helped ignite the state’s consciousness to begin intentional reporting and monitoring of nutrition data.
Governor Otti encouraged members of the newly formed Nutrition Council to focus on performance tracking and effective coordination, which he said are crucial for the success of the N-774 framework.
Dr. Uju Rochas-Anwukah, while presenting an overview of the initiative, explained that the Nutrition 774 programme is a multi-sectoral, community-based strategy designed to improve nutrition outcomes in all 774 local government areas across Nigeria. She expressed concern over Nigeria’s ranking as the second-worst globally in malnutrition statistics, attributing nearly 45% of child deaths in the country to malnutrition.
Dr. Anwukah praised Governor Otti’s transformational governance and acknowledged his efforts in making visible changes across Abia State. She stressed that malnutrition is a global crisis that cuts across political, religious, and tribal lines and must be tackled collectively through collaboration at all levels of government.
The Abia State Nutrition Council is chaired by the Governor and includes members drawn from several key ministries and agencies. These include the Commissioners for Budget and Planning (Vice Chairman), Health, Agriculture, Education, Finance, Women Affairs, Information, Culture and Creative Economy, Power and Public Utilities, and Social Protection. Also on the Council are the ALGON Chairman, the House Committee Chair on Food and Nutrition, and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Budget and Planning who will serve as Secretary.
The inauguration was attended by top government officials and stakeholders who pledged their support to drive the success of the N-774 initiative in the state.
