House Hails Rep. Chike Okafor’s Appointment to National Nutrition 774 Strategic Board
By Exponent News Akure | 22nd June 2025
In a significant development underscoring Nigeria’s fight against malnutrition and food insecurity, the House of Representatives has applauded the appointment of Rep. Chike Okafor, PhD, Chairman of the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, to the High-Level Strategic Board of the Nutrition 774 Initiative.
The appointment was made by Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima, GCON, who also chairs the National Council on Nutrition. The board, inaugurated on Friday, includes top-ranking officials from federal and state governments and is tasked with steering nationwide interventions across all 774 Local Government Areas to combat hunger and malnutrition.
The Nutrition 774 Initiative represents a bold, multisectoral approach to reversing Nigeria’s alarming malnutrition statistics. With Rep. Okafor joining the board, the legislative arm is now strategically positioned to influence the programme’s success from a policy and oversight perspective.
Members of the High-Level Strategic Board include:
- H.E. Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq – Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Kwara State
- Sen. Abubakar Atiku Bagudu – Minister of Budget and Economic Planning
- Mr. Adebayo Olawale Edun – Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy
- Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate – Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare
- Hon. Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim – Minister of Women Affairs
- Hon. Engr. Bello Lawal – Chairman, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON)
- Hon. Tolulope Ige Michael – Chairman, Forum of Chairpersons of State House Committees on Nutrition
- Dr. Samson Ebimaro – Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning
In a letter of gratitude to the Vice President, Rep. Okafor described the appointment as “a call to even greater service,” reaffirming his commitment to leveraging legislative tools to strengthen nutrition and food security policies, especially at the grassroots.
A third-term lawmaker representing Ehime Mbano/Ihitte-Uboma/Obowo Federal Constituency of Imo State, Rep. Okafor holds a PhD in Public Administration and has a rich professional history in banking and governance. As Chairman of the National Legislative Network on Nutrition and Food Security, he has led several legislative initiatives to combat hunger and promote nutrition-sensitive policies nationwide.
His appointment follows his selection by Speaker Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, PhD, GCON as the pioneer head of the newly established House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security. This committee—one of the signature reforms of the 10th Assembly—aligns with the House’s Agenda 4: Economic Growth and Development, with a clear mandate to support and scale interventions that address food insecurity in Nigeria.
Since its creation, the Committee has launched oversight efforts targeting various government programmes, highlighting policy gaps, and proposing strategic legislation to enhance implementation outcomes.
The House of Representatives lauded Rep. Okafor’s inclusion in the national board and reaffirmed its commitment to supporting holistic, inclusive nutrition and food security interventions—especially those targeting children and vulnerable populations.
