Stakeholders demand more investment in women, girls’ nutrition

By Chioma Obinna

Stakeholders at the 2026 Women in Power Conference, WIPC, have called for increased investment in the nutrition, education and economic empowerment of women and girls to tackle malnutrition and improve health and development outcomes.
The call was made at the conference organised by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development in collaboration with the Civil Society Scaling-Up Nutrition in Nigeria, CS-SUNN, in Lagos.
The conference had the theme, “Championing Women and Girls Nutrition for Sustainable Development.”
Presenting an overview of the nutrition situation in Lagos State, the Secretary, State Committee on Food and Nutrition, SCFN, Mrs Taiwo Fadairo, said malnutrition remained a major public health concern affecting children, women, adults and other vulnerable groups.
She identified undernutrition, overnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies as major forms of malnutrition, urging Nigerians to pay greater attention to their food choices.
“We should eat our food as if we are taking our medicine. We should not eat anyhow,” she said.
Fadairo disclosed that anaemia among women of reproductive age in Lagos was close to 50 per cent, while early initiation of breastfeeding within the first hour of birth remained low at about 14 per cent.
She said the state was training health workers on maternal, infant and young child nutrition, with emphasis on colostrum and early initiation of breastfeeding.
According to her, Lagos’ exclusive breastfeeding rate stood at about 57.4 per cent, above the global target of 50 per cent, but more efforts were required to improve complementary feeding and the Minimum Acceptable Diet among children.
“Nutrition must be addressed across the different stages of life, particularly during the first 1,000 days from conception to a child’s second birthday,” she said.
In her keynote address, wife of the Lagos State Governor, Dr Claudiana Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, represented by wife of the Deputy Governor, Mrs Oluremi Hamzat, described nutrition as essential to healthy living, human capital development and a prosperous society.
“Nutrition is not merely about food. It is about giving every individual the opportunity to live a healthy, productive and fulfilling life,” she said.
She said women and mothers had a critical role to play in promoting healthy diets, breastfeeding and healthy lifestyles in homes and communities.
Sanwo-Olu urged Nutrition Champions to take the message beyond the conference hall and make nutrition advocacy a daily responsibility.
Speaking, the Programme Officer, CS-SUNN, Hope Ikani, stressed the need to invest in women and girls, saying their education and economic empowerment were critical to improving nutrition outcomes.
“There is no country that can afford to leave half of its people behind,” she said.
Ikani noted that women and girls had specific nutritional needs and were more vulnerable to conditions such as anaemia.
“An educated and economically empowered woman is better positioned to make informed decisions about her own nutrition and that of her family,” she said.
She called for improved access to land, agriculture, livelihoods and income for women, noting that economic empowerment would enable them to make better decisions about food and nutrition.
Ikani also urged government to integrate nutrition into education and other sectors and ensure that existing nutrition policies and guidelines were adequately funded and implemented.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Hon. Bolaji Cecilia Dada, said nutrition and women’s empowerment were closely linked.
“For us at the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, women’s empowerment and nutrition are interconnected,” she said.
Dada highlighted the ministry’s food and nutrition programme, Oju-Lore, which provides medical screening, professional nutrition education and healthy food packs to beneficiaries across the five divisions of Lagos State.
She also identified the state’s six-month maternity leave for civil servants as an important intervention for maternal and child well-being.
Speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Sustainable Development Goals, Dr Oreoluwa Finnih, described the nutrition of women and girls as a critical driver of development.
“When we nourish a girl, we nourish a mother, a family and a nation,” she said.
Finnih said malnutrition should not be viewed only as a health issue, noting that it could affect education, productivity and human capital development.
The Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University, Professor Ibiyemi Bello, said nutrition was foundational to human capital development and deserved sustained investment.
“Every investment we make in nutrition today is an investment in tomorrow’s productivity, intellect and national strength,” she said.
In her opening remarks, the Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, represented by the Director, Mrs Ola Erinfolami, said women and girls were central to the health and well-being of families and communities.
“When women are informed and empowered, they are better positioned to make healthier choices for themselves, their children and their families,” she said.
She said the Women Champions for Optimal Nutrition Programme would take nutrition information into homes and communities.
The high point of the conference was the inauguration of Nutrition Champions, with commitments around anaemia prevention and treatment, multiple micronutrient supplementation, nutrition financing, women’s empowerment and education.