Governor Otti Inaugurates Abia State Nutrition Council, Pledges Stronger Budgetary Support

Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has officially inaugurated the Abia State Council on Nutrition as part of renewed efforts to combat malnutrition and improve public health outcomes across the state.

The inauguration took place at Nvosi in Isialangwa South Local Government Area, following a strategic briefing by the National Technical Working Group on the Nutrition 774 initiative. The delegation was led by Dr. Uju Anwukah, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Health and Focal Person for Nutrition.

Governor Otti emphasized the state’s commitment to integrating nutrition into its broader development agenda, describing it as the bedrock of public health, productivity, and long-term economic growth.

“The advocacy visit from the National Technical Working Group is a timely reminder that we must begin to deliberately track and report nutrition indicators across all sectors,” the governor stated.

Highlighting his administration’s priorities, Governor Otti noted that 15 percent of the state’s annual budget has been allocated to healthcare and 20 percent to education over the past two years. He further directed the Commissioner for Budget and Planning to ensure that nutrition-focused programmes are distinctly tagged in the 2025 fiscal budget and beyond.

The governor also tasked members of the newly inaugurated council with ensuring effective coordination and rigorous performance tracking in implementing nutrition policies across the state.

In her presentation, Dr. Anwukah disclosed that Nigeria currently ranks first in Africa and second globally in terms of malnutrition burden, resulting in an estimated $1.5 billion economic loss annually.

She explained that the Nutrition 774 initiative was designed to create a unified national response to the malnutrition crisis and called for the establishment of dedicated nutrition departments within relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).

Dr. Anwukah commended the Otti administration for significantly increasing Abia State’s nutrition budget from ₦231 million in 2022 to ₦1.35 billion in 2024, describing it as a bold step in the right direction.

The inauguration marks a major stride in aligning Abia State with national efforts to reduce malnutrition and improve health outcomes for vulnerable populations, especially children and mothers.