Nigeria's Vice President Kashim Shettima has concluded a three-day visit to Ethiopia, where he led a delegation in a nutrition leadership exchange. The exchange, themed 'Moving the Needle on Nutrition', aimed to share experiences in tackling malnutrition and strengthening food systems. Shettima stated that Nigeria will deepen the implementation of the Nutrition 774 Initiative, incorporating practical lessons from Ethiopia's experience. The Vice President emphasized the importance of African countries learning from one another.
During the visit, Shettima held a bilateral meeting with Ethiopia's Deputy Prime Minister, Temesgen Tiruneh. The meeting reviewed bilateral relations and explored opportunities for deeper cooperation in areas such as agriculture, trade, investment, and food security. The Vice President also highlighted Nigeria's efforts to strengthen nutrition financing, accountability, and subnational implementation. He stressed that improved nutrition is critical to human capital development, productivity, and economic growth.
The leadership exchange included field engagements across Oromia, focusing on agriculture value-chain transformation. The delegation visited farms, a training center, and households to study how agricultural production and value-chain development are linked to improved nutrition and livelihoods. Shettima and his team also visited the Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute, where they received briefings on the application of technology, data, and innovation to development and public-sector delivery.
On the final day of the exchange, the focus shifted to early childhood development. Engagements covered pre-primary education, healthcare, daycare, and parental coaching. The programme concluded with a working session on translating lessons from Ethiopia into concrete commitments for the Nutrition 774 Initiative. The exchange culminated in a Nigeria Country Session and a joint closing ceremony attended by Shettima and Deputy Prime Minister Tiruneh.
The Vice President emphasized that the real measure of the exchange would be how effectively the lessons are translated into improved outcomes for Nigerian families. Shettima stated that the knowledge gained from the exchange would be adapted to Nigeria's realities, particularly in strengthening collaboration among the federal government, states, and local governments. The goal is to improve nutrition outcomes at the community and household levels.
Ethiopia's Seqota Declaration and Nigeria's Nutrition 774 Initiative provide useful platforms for sharing home-grown approaches to addressing malnutrition. The Vice President noted that the exchange demonstrated the value of African countries learning from one another. The Nutrition 774 Initiative aims to improve nutrition outcomes, particularly in vulnerable communities.
The Nigeria-Ethiopia nutrition leadership exchange has reaffirmed the commitment of both countries to sustained cooperation and knowledge exchange on nutrition and development. The exchange has provided a platform for Nigeria to learn from Ethiopia's experience and adapt the lessons to its own context. The implementation of the Nutrition 774 Initiative will be deepened, with a focus on strengthening collaboration and improving nutrition outcomes.
Key points
- Nigeria's Vice President Kashim Shettima has concluded a three-day visit to Ethiopia to learn from the country's experience in tackling malnutrition.
- The Vice President emphasized that the real measure of the exchange would be how effectively the lessons are translated into improved outcomes for Nigerian families.
- The Nigeria-Ethiopia nutrition leadership exchange has reaffirmed the commitment of both countries to sustained cooperation and knowledge exchange on nutrition and development.
