Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, Chike John Okafor, has said malnutrition costs Nigeria more economically than oil pipeline vandalism and power outages combined, describing nutrition as an economic rather than purely social welfare issue.
Speaking at a national policy dialogue in Uyo, Okafor cited World Bank estimates that Nigeria loses 2.5 billion dollars annually to malnutrition, equivalent to about 12 percent of GDP, through reduced productivity and healthcare costs, arguing that every dollar invested in nutrition generates about 16 dollars in economic returns through healthier children and a more productive workforce. He noted that 32 percent of children under five in Nigeria are stunted and 58 percent of women of reproductive age are anaemic, and pointed to the 2024 inauguration of a National Legislative Network on Nutrition and Food Security as an institutional platform for coordinated action.
He expressed concern that less than 0.5 percent of the federal budget currently goes to nutrition specific interventions, well below the 1.5 percent needed to meet global targets, and called on state legislatures to ring fence nutrition budget lines, ensure timely release of approved funds and mandate regular reporting from government agencies, urging legislators, agencies and civil society to work together to translate budget commitments into measurable nutrition outcomes.
