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Vice President Kashim Shettima has departed Abuja for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on a high-stakes mission to strengthen Nigeria’s response to malnutrition through a government-led, multisectoral approach modelled on Ethiopia’s experience.
Shettima is leading a high-level Nigerian delegation to the inaugural Nigeria-Ethiopia Nutrition Leadership Exchange Visit, designed to enable both countries to share practical lessons on how governments at federal, state and local levels can build a coordinated system for delivering nutrition interventions.
The visit, at the invitation of Ethiopia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Temesgen Tiruneh, comes as Nigeria seeks to deepen coordination among different sectors involved in tackling malnutrition, food insecurity and poor nutrition outcomes.
According to a statement by his media aide, Stanley Nkwocha, rather than focusing solely on health interventions, the exchange will examine how agriculture, food production, economic planning, emergency management and sub-national governments can be brought together under a common nutrition strategy.
The Nigerian delegation is expected to study Ethiopia’s multisectoral model and assess how elements of the approach could strengthen Nigeria’s own nutrition delivery architecture.
During the visit, Shettima and members of the delegation will engage Ethiopian officials and visit agricultural and community-based initiatives aimed at improving access to nutritious food and strengthening household livelihoods.
The programme includes visits to a wheat farm and banana plantation in Oromia, the ‘Bounty of the Basket’ Training Centre and households in Mojo, as well as Jabdu Motors in Bishoftu.
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The field visits are expected to provide the Nigerian delegation with practical insights into the links between agricultural production, livelihoods, food availability and nutrition.
The Presidency said the exchange would focus particularly on experiences in building a federal, state and local compact on nutrition, potentially offering lessons for Nigeria’s efforts to coordinate nutrition policies and interventions across its three tiers of government.
Shettima is attending the forum as head of Nigeria’s delegation, underscoring the administration’s emphasis on high-level political leadership in addressing nutrition challenges.
The Nigerian delegation includes Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal and Jigawa State Governor Umar Namadi, alongside Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu; Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari; and Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Zubaida Umar Abubakar.
The Ethiopia engagement is also expected to give Nigerian officials an opportunity to examine how government policies are translated into practical interventions at community level.
Shettima will return to Abuja after concluding his engagements in Addis Ababa.
