Nigeria Launches Community Food Bank to Combat Child Malnutrition
The Nigerian government has launched a national Community Food Bank Programme aimed at addressing malnutrition among children under six across the country.
The initiative was unveiled on Tuesday in Abuja during the first National Traditional and Religious Leaders Summit.
The programme is a joint effort involving the Office of the First Lady, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency.
It is designed to improve access to safe and nutritious food for vulnerable children and strengthen community-level nutrition support.
Eligible families will be registered through Primary Health Centres nationwide, where caregivers will receive counselling and food vouchers redeemable for locally grown, nutritious foods at designated community food banks.
The initiative is set to be launched in April 2026 and will be funded via a Trust Fund supported by private sector partners and individual donors, with oversight provided by credible Nigerians to ensure accountability.
The advocacy campaign for the programme will move across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, beginning in the North-east region, specifically Borno State.
Child malnutrition remains a pressing issue in Nigeria, contributing to nearly half of deaths among children under five.
National surveys indicate that roughly one in three children under five is stunted, and about seven per cent are wasted, reflecting insufficient weight for their height. Severe Acute Malnutrition affects an estimated two million children, yet only a small fraction currently receive treatment.
Government officials emphasised the critical role of people in national development, highlighting the contributions of traditional and religious leaders in improving health outcomes.
Development partners, including the World Health Organization and the World Bank, also noted that these leaders are central to achieving universal health coverage in Nigeria.
