Shettima stated during the committee's formation that it will supply the necessary knowledge for the Nutrition Council of Nigeria's operations.
"I am pleased to welcome you to the inaugural meeting of this crucial committee, which will act as the knowledge base and technical resource for the National Council on Nutrition.
You guys are the ones who, in my opinion, will sketch out our course. We have no business living in poverty, as I have long stated. Even though we have the capacity to be among the richest nations in the world, we have only reached this point.
The vice president stated, "This is why I am very passionate about this committee."
Shettima expressed her regret for the unfavorable circumstances in Nigeria and said that more work had to be done to improve the situation.
Only 88 out of 100 children under the age of five in Nigeria will survive, he claimed, with chronic malnutrition accounting for US$2.5 billion in losses yearly and having a 33% prevalence in this nation.
Furthermore, a child born in Nigeria has a 36% chance of living to be 60 years old.
Shettima pleaded with the committee to put in a lot of effort and alter Nigeria's nutritional narrative.
Dr. Uju Okorocha, Special Adviser to the Vice President on Public Health, stated in a news interview that 88 out of 100 children will most likely not be able to reach the age of five due to malnutrition.
In Nigeria, we have an extremely high stunted growth rate of approximately 33%, and 88 out of 100 children will probably not survive to be five years old due to malnutrition.
Additionally, it resulted in an economic impact of more than US$ 2.5 billion, thus the nutrition core working group will be looking at some improvements in these areas.
"As I previously stated, the story will guarantee quantifiable results that will change Nigeria's malnutrition rate."
She claimed that in order for the committee to be able to alter national narratives, the vice president had given them instructions to act pro-actively and sustainably.
"Coordination between the various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) is a major factor in that."
Thus, it necessitates concerted efforts with donors, partners, and civil society organizations (CSOs).
The committee will assist the National Council on Nutrition in advancing this goal in Nigeria, according to Zouera Youssoufou, Managing Director and CEO of the Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF).
The Vice President has issued us orders to create a worktable plan, which we shall carry out and present.
As a result of people working in disparate fields—some on agriculture, some on prevention—we need to coordinate our efforts better.
"The goal is to combine everyone's efforts so that we are all traveling in the same direction.