The Lagos State Government has inaugurated committees across local government areas and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) to address food and nutrition challenges at the community level.
Speaking at the event in Ikeja, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, Olayinka Ojo, said child stunting remained a significant concern linked to malnutrition.
Represented by a director in the ministry, Saheed Olowonisaye, she noted that stunting affects about 40% of children nationwide, with rates exceeding 60% in some northern states. She added that roughly 8% of children are underweight, according to 2024 data from the Federal Ministry of Health.
“Malnutrition and nutrition-related issues remain a public health concern in Nigeria,” she said, adding that Lagos, despite its status as the country’s most populous state, also faces poor nutrition indicators.
She put the state’s stunting rate at 39.4%, explaining that malnutrition can take different forms, including undernutrition, overnutrition and deficiencies in essential micronutrients.
Mrs Ojo said improving nutrition was critical to development and human progress, noting a strong link between malnutrition and underdevelopment. She added that Lagos’ ambition to become a model smart city would require sustained investment in nutrition.
She highlighted existing measures, including the introduction of six months’ maternity leave in 2014 to promote exclusive breastfeeding, as well as the rollout of nutrition strategies for mothers and young children through healthcare providers.
The Executive Chairman of Olorunda LCDA, Peter Ajose, said the newly inaugurated committees would help extend nutrition programmes to communities and ensure wider reach.
“We will support, collaborate, and ensure adequate funding of the programme across all local governments,” he said.
The Director of Family Health and Nutrition at the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Folashade Oludara, described the initiative as an extension of ongoing efforts over the past decade.
She said the move would strengthen collaboration across sectors and integrate nutrition more effectively into healthcare delivery, noting its importance in disease management and recovery.
Also speaking, the Secretary of the Lagos State Committee on Food and Nutrition, Taiwo Fadairo, said malnutrition continued to be driven by complex structural and environmental factors.
She stressed the need for coordinated action at state, local and community levels to address the issue.
Representatives from all 20 local government areas and 37 LCDAs attended the inauguration, aimed at strengthening grassroots responses to malnutrition challenges.
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