Jigawa State Governor Umar A. Namadi joined Vice President Kashim Shettima and other senior officials in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for the inaugural Nigeria–Ethiopia Nutrition Leadership Exchange Forum, a high-level engagement focused on malnutrition, food systems and sustainable nutrition financing. The three-day programme offers Jigawa an opportunity to study Ethiopia’s approaches to agricultural development and child nutrition, with the stated aim of identifying lessons that could strengthen food security, nutrition interventions and resilient livelihoods across the state.
Governor Umar A. Namadi’s participation in the Nigeria–Ethiopia Nutrition Leadership Exchange Forum reflects Jigawa State’s stated interest in strengthening the links between agricultural transformation, food security and public nutrition. The forum brings together national and subnational leaders from Nigeria and Ethiopia to exchange experiences on reducing malnutrition, improving food production and ensuring vulnerable populations can access nutritious food. According to a Jigawa State government publication dated October 8, 2026, Namadi joined Vice President Kashim Shettima and other senior Nigerian officials in Addis Ababa for the inaugural engagement. The state’s stated objective is to learn from Ethiopia’s experience and consider how relevant approaches might be adapted to local programmes and needs.
The forum’s wider policy agenda includes nutrition financing, coordination across government institutions and the development of sustainable food systems. Speaking at the engagement, Shettima said Nigeria would accelerate work on a National Food and Nutrition Bill intended to protect nutrition funding, strengthen accountability and help maintain interventions beyond individual administrations. He also cited Nigeria’s commitment of $26 million to the Child Nutrition Fund, which attracted matching support to unlock a reported total of $52 million. According to the Vice President, 21 states had contributed $6.3 million since 2023 towards supplies for the prevention and treatment of malnutrition. These figures were presented as part of the federal government’s account of financing efforts; the announcement did not provide a state-by-state breakdown of contributions or specify Jigawa’s individual contribution.
Shettima also highlighted the federal Nutrition 774 Initiative, designed to provide a coordinated framework for federal, state and local governments. The initiative links nutrition outcomes to multiple policy areas, including healthcare, agriculture, social protection, water, sanitation, hygiene and education. The National Policy on Food and Nutrition 2026–2035 was also cited, with targets to reduce Nigeria’s stunting rate to 32 per cent by 2029, 28 per cent by 2032 and 25 per cent by 2035. These targets frame the national ambition within which state-level efforts operate. For Jigawa, the challenge is to translate broad coordination principles into practical delivery across agricultural production, community health, nutrition awareness and support for households at risk of food insecurity.
As part of the three-day programme, Namadi was expected to take part in field visits to integrated agricultural facilities and development sites across Oromia, Mojo and Bishoftu. The visits were intended to provide firsthand exposure to Ethiopia’s agricultural value chains, food systems and community-based interventions. Discussions at the forum also covered Ethiopia’s Seqota Declaration, a long-term national commitment aimed at ending child stunting by 2030. Ethiopian officials highlighted sustained political leadership, domestic financing, coordination across sectors and implementation at community level as important elements of the country’s approach. The programme therefore offered Jigawa’s delegation an opportunity to examine not only agricultural infrastructure but also the institutional arrangements and financing approaches associated with nutrition policy.
The forum also served as a platform for wider Nigeria–Ethiopia engagement. Ethiopia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Temesgen Tiruneh, described the longstanding relationship between the two countries as a foundation for cooperation in food security, agriculture and human development. On the sidelines, Shettima and Tiruneh held bilateral discussions covering trade, investment, agriculture, food security, aviation and security, as well as the Nigeria–Ethiopia Joint Commission and opportunities for private-sector investment and intra-African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area. For Jigawa, Namadi’s participation creates an opportunity to identify relevant lessons from the exchange, but the state’s publication did not announce specific new programmes, funding commitments or implementation dates arising from the visit. The stated policy objective remains strengthening food production, improving nutrition, building resilient livelihoods and expanding access to safe, affordable and nutritious food.