General
Malnutrition: Implementation of SDGs in Nigeria Worries Stakeholders
By Dipo Olowookere
The implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in terms of alleviating malnutrition in Nigeria has been questioned by stakeholders in the nation’s nutrition and development space.
Experts in the field said they are not impressed with the localisation of the SDGs and have, therefore, called for an urgent review of the implementation.
According to a social development expert with over 25 years of experience, Ms Foyinsola Oyebola, the review is necessary if Nigeria is to achieve any of the SDGs, specifically SDG 2, which is “to eradicate hunger and prevent all forms of malnutrition,” stressing that SDG 2 is critical to achieving all the SDGs.
Speaking at a recent Protein Challenge webinar titled The UN Decade of Action on Nutrition: Connecting the Dots for Nigeria, she argued that, “Nigeria is facing a nutrition crisis on multiple fronts, with rising levels of food insecurity.”
“To ensure that no Nigerian is left behind, we have to bridge the gap between policy statements and implementation at all levels. We must petition the government to mainstream SDG 2 into state and local government programmes,” Ms Oyebola submitted.
On his part, the National Coordinator, Media Centre Against Child Malnutrition (MeCAM), a member of the Civil Society Scaling-Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN), Mr Remmy Nweke, proposed increased budgetary lines in the health and agricultural sectors.
He said that there was an urgent need to review the school feeding programme and to encourage smallholder farmers with better seedlings and other agricultural inputs and decried the persistent insecurity challenges in the country, noting that it negatively impacts access to nutritious food in many parts of Nigeria.
In his remarks, a nutrition consultant, entrepreneur and member of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN), Mr Collins Akanno, disclosed that individuals need to begin to implement home gardening and good nutrition habits.
“Nigerians need to be properly educated on sustainable agricultural practices. Many people do not know that certain food crops around them are very healthy and nutritious. A lot of nutrition education needs to be done to create awareness on all platforms, from community outreaches to social media,” he said.
“There are local food options in Nigeria that are rich in essential nutrients. Soybeans, egusi (melon seeds), millet, groundnuts, and even pumpkin leaves are particularly highly nutritious,” Mr Akanno said.
He explained that in an ideal health plate, the most food portion on the plate should be proteins and vegetables, followed by fruits and healthy carbs. He pointed out that soybeans are rich in proteins, dietary fibre, and micronutrients.
The nutritionist lamented the neglect of micronutrients, which has caused micronutrient deficiencies or “hidden hunger” in the country. Hidden hunger, or micronutrient deficiency, is the lack of vital nutrients in the body.
He also referred to the Nigerian Protein Deficiency Report, a recent survey that examines the level of protein deficiency in Nigeria and sheds light on the food consumption pattern among Nigerians, and reiterated that the convergence of high cost and availability increased the prevalence of protein deficiency in the nation.
Mr Akanno advised that nutrition education and sensitization, particularly among people in the rural areas, on malnutrition and its effects, would help to curb protein deficiency.
The webinar session was moderated by Martha Okpeke, a Development Enthusiast and Public Relations Practitioner.
It was organised as a part of the Nigeria Protein Deficiency Awareness Campaign (Protein Challenge), which is a media campaign to create awareness about the challenge of protein deficiency in Nigeria, and to mobilise relevant stakeholders to collaborate in mitigating the problem.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
President Bola Tinubu on Saturday confirmed the killing of a senior ISIS leader, Mr Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, in an overnight operation carried out by the United States and Nigeria.
President Donald Trump had earlier announced the elimination of the notorious terrorist via a post on his Truth Social.
Later, in a statement today, Mr Tinubu praised the action, describing it as “a significant example of effective collaboration in the fight against terrorism.”
“Our determined Nigerian Armed Forces, working closely with the Armed Forces of the United States, conducted a daring joint operation that dealt a heavy blow to the ranks of the Islamic State,” he said in the statement.
According to him, early assessments confirm the elimination of the wanted IS senior leader, Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, also known as Abu-Mainok, along with several of his lieutenants, during a strike on his compound in the Lake Chad Basin.
He commended the partnership between Nigeria and America in waging war against terrorists, thanking his US counterpart “for his leadership and unwavering support in this effort.”
“I commend the personnel involved on both sides for their professionalism and courage, and I look forward to more decisive strikes against all terrorist enclaves across the nation,” the Nigerian leader added.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria is set to strengthen its defence architecture by deploying artificial intelligence-powered surveillance systems and advanced anti-drone technology as part of efforts to modernise the country’s military capabilities, according to the Minister of Defence, Mr Christopher Musa.
He disclosed this during a high-level visit to Monaco, where he led a Nigerian delegation to conclude discussions on the multi-domain Hybrid Intelligence Shield (HIS) project.
According to Mr Musa, the initiative is designed to enhance border security, protect urban centres and improve the country’s response to emerging security threats.
The project is expected to introduce AI-driven surveillance systems capable of identifying threats rapidly through smart algorithms, while anti-drone technology will be deployed to intercept and neutralise unmanned aerial threats.
The government also plans to establish national and regional command-and-control centres to improve real-time coordination and response to security incidents across the country.
Mr Musa said the initiative would place strong emphasis on technology transfer and local capacity development through the establishment of a military Centre of Excellence in Nigeria.
He added that the federal government would leverage partnerships with international firms, including Marss UK Ltd, while simultaneously building indigenous capabilities to address insurgency, illegal mining, piracy and other security threats.
Nigeria has continued to battle multiple security challenges in recent years, including insurgency in the North-East, banditry and kidnappings in the North-West, farmer-herder clashes in the North-Central region, crude oil theft in the Niger Delta and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.
Nigeria is stepping up its defence as the border region of Nigeria, Benin and Niger on the southern edge of the Sahel region is becoming a new stronghold for jihadists, as militants turn forests and pastoral networks in West Africa into bases for recruitment and international attacks.
Attacks in Nigeria have also risen, with data from the website of the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED), a conflict-monitoring group, affirming that the number of suicide bombings in Nigeria by March already matched the annual average over the past six years.
The Nigerian military has also been dealt a blow to its military bases and senior figures targeted. In April, Brigadier-General Oseni Omoh Braimah was killed when Islamist fighters attacked a base in Borno State.
To also meet the defence goal, Nigeria is stepping up efforts to build domestic arms-manufacturing capacity.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria and Morocco are set to sign a major intergovernmental agreement later this year to push forward the long-delayed Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline project, a multi-billion-dollar energy corridor expected to reshape gas trade across West Africa and Europe.
The agreement, expected to be signed in the fourth quarter of 2026 by President Bola Tinubu and King Mohammed VI of Morocco, follows the completion of preliminary technical studies for the ambitious project, according to officials from both countries.
The pipeline, also known as the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline, is projected to stretch about 6,900 kilometres along offshore and onshore routes across West Africa, making it one of the largest gas infrastructure projects on the continent.
With an estimated cost of $25 billion, the pipeline is designed to transport up to 30 billion cubic metres of gas annually once completed.
Discussions on the project gained fresh momentum during a telephone conversation between Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and her Moroccan counterpart, Mr Nasser Bourita.
The project would not only strengthen energy cooperation between the two countries but also improve regional economic integration and expand Africa’s access to European energy markets.
According to Morocco’s hydrocarbons and mining agency, ONHYM, part of the gas supply will support Morocco’s domestic energy demand, while large export volumes will be directed to Europe.
The project, first proposed about a decade ago, is seen as a strategic alternative gas supply route amid rising global energy security concerns and Europe’s search for more diversified energy sources.
Beyond the pipeline, Nigeria and Morocco are also exploring broader economic partnerships, particularly in fertiliser production and distribution to support food security across Africa.
Both countries also agreed on the need to revive the Nigeria-Morocco Business Council to strengthen trade and investment relations under the African Continental Free Trade Area framework.
Analysts noted that the project could significantly boost gas monetisation opportunities for Nigeria, expand regional infrastructure development, and deepen economic ties between West African nations and Europe if successfully executed.
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