The Lagos State Government (LASG) has inaugurated local government and Local Council Development Area (LCDA) committees on food and nutrition to tackle nutritional challenges at the grassroots level.

Olayinka Ojo, permanent secretary, Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget (MEPB), said child stunting remains a major challenge due to malnutrition.

Mrs Ojo was represented by Saheed Olowonisaye, a director in the ministry, at the inauguration on Wednesday in Ikeja.

She said child stunting stands at 40 per cent nationally, with some northern states exceeding 60 per cent.

She added that about eight per cent of children are underweight due to malnutrition, according to the Federal Ministry of Health (2024).

“Malnutrition and nutrition-related issues remain a public health concern in Nigeria.

“Lagos State, being the most populous in the country and one of the world’s largest megacities, is also grappling with poor nutrition indices,” she said.

She noted that Lagos has a stunting rate of 39.4 per cent.

According to her, malnutrition can manifest as undernutrition, overnutrition, or deficiencies in essential micronutrients.

She said nutritional well-being is essential for development and human progress.

Mrs Ojo said there is a strong link between malnutrition and underdevelopment.

She noted that Lagos’ vision of becoming a model smart city requires significant investment in nutrition.

“Lagos was the first state to implement six months of maternity leave in July 2014 to encourage exclusive breastfeeding.

“The state has also cascaded the Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition strategy to healthcare providers,” she said.

The executive chairman of Olorunda LCDA, Peter Ajose, said the committees would help extend nutrition programmes to communities.

He added that local governments would ensure the initiative reaches every part of their jurisdictions.

Mr Ajose assured that the council would provide maximum support and collaborate fully to guarantee effective implementation.

“We will support, collaborate, and ensure adequate funding of the programme across all local governments,” he said.

Folashade Oludara, director of Family Health and Nutrition, Lagos State Ministry of Health, described the initiative as a continuation of existing efforts.

She said the state has sustained nutrition interventions over the past 10 years and that the inauguration extends the State Food and Nutrition Committee structure to local levels.

Ms Oludara added that the move would strengthen multisectoral collaboration in addressing nutrition challenges and emphasised the need for nutrition to be integrated into healthcare delivery.

She noted that proper nutrition plays a critical role in disease management and recovery.

Taiwo Fadairo, secretary, Lagos State Committee on Food and Nutrition, said malnutrition remains a public health concern.

Ms Fadairo, also the State Nutrition Officer, added that Lagos still faces poor nutrition indices, including a 39.4 per cent stunting rate.

She explained that malnutrition is driven by complex structural and environmental factors and that addressing it requires coordinated action across state, local government, and community levels.

Representatives from the 20 local governments and 37 LCDAs attended the inauguration to ensure an effective grassroots response to malnutrition challenges. 

(NAN)