Babatunji Wusu –
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Governor Alex Otti inaugurated the Abia State Council on Nutrition to oversee the implementation and sustainability of the Federal Government’s Nutrition 774 (N-774) Initiative in Abia State.
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The Council, chaired by Governor Otti, aims to ensure effective monitoring and reporting of nutrition indicators across sectors in the state, aligning with national nutrition policy directives.
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Otti emphasized his administration’s commitment, noting that 15% of the state budget is devoted to health and 20% to education, with adequate feeding seen as essential to combating sickness and malnutrition.
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Dr. Uju Rochas-Anwukah, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Nutrition and N-774 Focal Person, highlighted malnutrition as a global menace contributing to childhood deaths and poverty, praising Abia’s strides in health and nutrition.
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The N-774 Initiative targets improved nutritional outcomes across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas through multi-sectoral coordination and sustained funding.
On July 22, 2025, Governor Alex Otti officially inaugurated the Abia State Council on Nutrition, a critical step in advancing the Federal Government’s Nutrition 774 (N-774) Initiative within the state. The Council, which Governor Otti leads, is tasked with providing leadership, policy guidance, and oversight to ensure that nutritional activities are efficiently implemented and sustained across Abia State.
At the inauguration event held in Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area, Governor Otti welcomed the delegation of the National Technical Working Group, headed by Dr. Uju Rochas-Anwukah, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Health and the National Focal Person for the N-774 Initiative. Otti stressed the importance of deliberately tracking nutrition indicators across various sectors, noting that his administration has allocated significant portions of its budget—15% to health and 20% to education—as a reflection of its dedication to public wellbeing. He identified adequate feeding as foundational to defeating sickness and malnutrition within the populace.
Dr. Uju Rochas-Anwukah emphasized the severity of malnutrition as a leading cause of child mortality and a driver of poverty both locally and globally. She explained that the N-774 Initiative was created as a comprehensive framework to improve nutrition outcomes nationwide through coordinated action across all 774 local government areas. Praising Governor Otti’s administration for its proactive approach, she highlighted the necessity of collective efforts to combat this pervasive challenge, which transcends tribal and geographic boundaries.
The Governor further instructed the state’s Budget and Planning Commissioner to tag nutrition-related programs within the 2025 fiscal plan to ensure transparent tracking and accountability. Abia State has raised its nutrition budget to ₦3.4 billion, up from ₦1.3 billion, signaling increased financial commitment aligned with the goals of the N-774 framework.
This inauguration represents a pivotal moment in Abia’s public health strategy, aligning state and federal efforts to reduce malnutrition, improve human capital, and foster sustainable development through nutrition-driven policies.
