Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to participate in the Nigeria-Ethiopia Nutrition Exchange, an engagement focused on strengthening cooperation and sharing experiences on nutrition and food security.
Shettima’s visit forms part of Nigeria’s efforts to deepen collaboration with Ethiopia and learn from approaches that have been used to address nutrition challenges, improve food systems and strengthen human capital development.
The high-level engagement brings together officials and stakeholders from both countries to exchange ideas, policies and practical experiences in tackling malnutrition and improving nutritional outcomes.
During the visit, attention is expected to be placed on strategies that can help Nigeria strengthen its nutrition programmes, particularly efforts targeted at vulnerable groups, including children, women and low-income households.
Nutrition remains an important component of national development, as poor nutrition can affect child growth, learning, productivity and overall wellbeing.
The exchange with Ethiopia is expected to provide an opportunity for both countries to examine areas where their experiences and policies can be shared and adapted to address common challenges.
Shettima’s participation also highlights the Federal Government’s focus on improving food security and ensuring that Nigerians have better access to safe and nutritious food.
The discussions are expected to cover areas including agricultural production, food systems, nutrition interventions, social protection and policies aimed at reducing malnutrition.
Nigeria and Ethiopia are among Africa’s most populous countries and face a number of development challenges that require coordinated approaches and sustained investment.
By engaging with Ethiopia, Nigeria is expected to explore practical lessons that could support ongoing efforts to improve nutrition outcomes across the country.
The visit also provides an avenue for strengthening bilateral relations between Nigeria and Ethiopia, particularly in areas related to agriculture, food production, public health and human development.
As Nigeria continues to address the challenges of malnutrition, food insecurity and rising food costs, strengthening the connection between agriculture and nutrition remains an important policy priority.
The nutrition exchange is expected to provide government officials and other stakeholders with an opportunity to discuss what has worked, identify challenges and consider strategies that could be replicated or adapted in Nigeria.
Shettima’s participation demonstrates the importance being placed on nutrition as part of the country’s broader development agenda.
The outcome of the engagement is expected to contribute to ongoing discussions on how Nigeria can improve nutrition policies and programmes while building stronger systems for food production and distribution.
The Vice President is expected to participate in the activities lined up for the engagement before returning to Nigeria.
