The Chairman of the Ondo State House of Assembly Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, Hon. Nelson Akinsuroju, has sounded the alarm over the worsening crisis of hunger and malnutrition, describing it as a threat to the future of the state and the nation.
Speaking at a Stakeholders’ Meeting on Nutrition and Food Security held in Akure on Tuesday, Akinsuroju cited national data which he said painted a grim picture.
“Three in ten children are stunted, two are malnourished, and one is wasted. These are not just statistics, they are the future of our nation, and it is being destroyed before our eyes,” the lawmaker warned.
Akinsuroju explained that the recently launched Nutrition 774 Initiative, inaugurated by Vice President Kashim Shettima on June 20, 2025, offers a new operational framework that clearly spells out the roles of federal, state, and local governments in tackling malnutrition.
He pledged that the Assembly Committee will push for timely release of funds, adequate budgetary provisions, and active grassroots engagement, while also announcing that local government nutrition committees will soon be inaugurated across all 18 LGAs of Ondo State.
Declaring the meeting open, the Speaker of the Assembly, Rt. Hon. Olamide Oladiji, described malnutrition as a national emergency. He noted that unlike past interventions, the current initiative enjoys full legislative and executive backing, with provisions already captured in the federal budget.
Other stakeholders at the event pledged support. The Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr. Olaolu Akindolire, said the state would prioritize nutrition in its fiscal policies, while the Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Leye Akinola, highlighted ongoing programmes aimed at boosting food production and ensuring affordable nutritious food.
Representatives of the Ministries of Health, Education, and Women Affairs emphasized the need to integrate nutrition awareness into schools, expand maternal and child nutrition services, and strengthen the state’s school feeding programme.
Similarly, the Chairman of ALGON, Dr. Gbenga Fasua, assured that local government councils would fully cooperate to ensure interventions reach rural communities, while the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) pledged to mainstream nutrition awareness into basic education.
At the close of the meeting, participants agreed on multi-sectoral collaboration, grassroots-focused interventions, and strict monitoring to drastically reduce malnutrition and food insecurity in Ondo State.
