Cross River State Government has flagged off the Federal Government’s Nutrition 774 Initiative, with Governor Bassey Otu pledging to make the state the healthiest in Nigeria by 2027.
Speaking at a one day stakeholders town hall meeting in Calabar during the official flag-off of the program on Thursday, the Governor, represented by his deputy, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey, described the event as “epoch-making” and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to putting the health and well-being of citizens first.
“As a government, we are committed to the health and well-being of our people, and that is why we have set a target to be the State with the healthiest people by 2027,” the Governor said. “We will continue to invest in our people, because we know that a healthy people make a wealthy nation.”
The Governor outlined the achievements recorded so far in nutrition, including the establishment of nutrition departments across ministries and agencies, the formation of functional food and nutrition committees in all 18 LGAs, the provision of six months of paid maternity leave for nursing mothers, and the implementation of a dedicated state nutrition policy and strategy. Additionally, funds have been released exceeding the 67% benchmark set by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.
Reiterating government commitment to improving the nutritional statistics, he announced fresh commitments more budgetary allocation, reinstating the State Crèche, and introducing a nutrition surveillance system, while officially flagging off the programme across all 18 LGAs.
Earlier, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Health and Focal Person for the Nutrition Office of the Vice President, Mrs. Uju Rochas Anwukah, commended Governor Bassey Otu for making Cross River one of the best-performing states on the National Nutrition Scorecard.
Anwukah described malnutrition as “the quietest killer in Nigeria,” noting that one in three children is stunted and nearly half of all under-five deaths are linked to poor nutrition. She highlighted that the initiative is anchored on three pillars: political will, multi-sectoral collaboration, and financing with accountability, to ensure measurable impact at the community level.
She called for collective action across all sectors, stressing that “a nourished child is the foundation of a stronger nation.”
Welcoming the stakeholders, the Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Cross River State Planning Commission, Dr. Bong Duke, described the programme as “an exciting multi-sectoral effort” aimed at enabling all 774 local government areas in Nigeria to develop locally driven nutrition plans.
Dr. Duke thanked Vice President Kashim Shettima, Mrs. Uju Rochas Anwukah, and partners for their support, while urging traditional rulers, community leaders, and youth to drive the programme’s success at the grassroots.
The highlight of the stakeholders’ engagement, which was attended by Council Chairmen/Vice Chairmen, royal fathers, academics, religious leaders, top government officials, youth, and media representatives, was a goodwill message from the Rt. Hon. Hilary Bisong, Chairman of the State House of Assembly Committee on Health, and the formal flag-off by the Deputy Governor.
