Gov. Bassey Otu in a handshake with the Special Assistant to the President on Public Health, Mrs. Uju Rochas-Anwuka, flanked by his Deputy, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey (left) and Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Johnson Ebokpo (right).
By Anietie Akpan
The Federal Government has described the country’s malnutrition crisis as a national emergency just as the Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu has called for a Federal backing for nutrition, health reforms.
Speaking in Calabar during a courtesy call on Governor Otu in his office on Wednesday, the Special Assistant to the President on Public Health, Mrs. Uju Rochas-Anwuka, said Nigeria’s malnutrition crisis is a national emergency, ranking the country 1st in Africa and 2nd globally for child malnutrition.
She warned that annual losses due to malnutrition exceed $1.5 billion, undermining human capital and national development.
“The Nutrition 774 Initiative (N774 initiative) was conceived to provide a unified response to Nigeria’s malnutrition crisis, elevating nutrition as a national priority,” she said. “It is a multi-sectoral, community-based framework established to improve nutritional outcomes across the 774 Local Government Areas of the country.”
According to her, the initiative is anchored on a five-phase Strategic Plan that prioritizes actions to strengthen governance structures, ensure accountability, and guarantee long-term sustainability.
She added that each state council on nutrition is expected to provide overall leadership, policy direction, and oversight to drive the implementation of the N774 initiative.
Rochas-Anwuka commended the Cross River State Government for making budgetary provisions for nutrition, noting that such commitment would strengthen local systems and align with national priorities.
“The vision is to achieve a well-nourished and healthy Nigerian population through strengthened local systems and coordinated national action on nutrition,” she said.
On his part, Governor Otu restated his administration’s commitment to a people-centered government, with a special focus on nutrition, preventive healthcare, education, and called for greater federal support to sustain reforms.
Governor Otu said his administration deliberately designed its policies to place citizens at the centre of development, especially in sectors critical to human capital growth.
“Our agenda was very clear from the beginning; we want a people’s government here. Everything we do places the people at the centre,” the governor declared adding, “Education and health are the two key areas that, if not working well, no society can make progress.”
He explained that his administration prioritized nutrition and preventive healthcare as the foundation for long-term development, noting that efforts have already yielded measurable results.
“Since we started strengthening our nutrition sector, we have seen a steady decline in infant morbidity and mortality rates,” he said.
He highlighted some of the interventions introduced by his government to include fully paid maternity and paternity leave, support for parents to nurture their babies, and plans to fortify staple foods such as rice with vitamins, adding that Cross River was also exploring the expansion of school feeding programmes to reach more children.
“Preventive health is far more effective than tackling ailments after they occur. That is why we are investing in nutrition, early childcare, and food security to build a strong immune base right from infancy,” he explained.
Governor Otu thanked the presidential aide for the visit, assuring that Cross River State remains committed to reforms that will improve health, education, and the overall wellbeing of its people.
