The Niger State Planning Commission (NSPC), in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has commenced the implementation of the N-25 Initiative, a state-level framework aimed at strengthening nutrition security and improving maternal and child health outcomes across the 25 Local Government Areas of the state.

The initiative was unveiled in Minna during a sensitisation and orientation meeting attended by Local Government Area Chairmen, Directors of Personnel Management, health officials and other key stakeholders.

The N-25 Initiative is aligned with the broader N-774 national framework and is designed to translate national nutrition priorities into coordinated, sustainable and measurable interventions at the grassroots.

Speaking at the meeting, the Executive Director of the Niger State Primary Health Care Development Agency (NSPHCDA) stressed the importance of nutrition services to effective primary healthcare delivery, covering both the prevention and treatment of malnutrition.

He said addressing malnutrition requires a coordinated, multi-sectoral approach involving the health, agriculture, education and other relevant sectors.

The Permanent Secretary of the Niger State Planning Commission, Hajiya Aisha T. Usman, described the initiative as an urgent call to action, urging local government authorities to ensure that women, children and households have access to adequate and quality nutrition services.

She called on the 25 LGA Chairmen to demonstrate strong political commitment by supporting nutrition focal persons and strengthening grassroots structures responsible for delivering nutrition interventions.

Niger, UNICEF Launch N-25 Initiative To Strengthen Grassroots Nutrition.

Also speaking, the UNICEF Nutrition State Facilitator, Aisha Jibril Kallamu, reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to supporting grassroots mobilisation and strengthening an effective multi-sectoral framework for nutrition service delivery across Niger State.

The orientation identified four key pillars for the successful implementation of the initiative, including clarity of operational goals, effective translation of strategy into budgets and service delivery schedules, data-driven accountability through regular scorecards, and continuous monitoring and review meetings.

The N-25 Initiative is expected to deepen political ownership, strengthen institutional capacity and promote collaboration among relevant sectors, with particular emphasis on improving nutrition outcomes for pregnant women, mothers and children under five during the critical first 1,000 days of life.

The initiative is also expected to position local governments as key drivers of sustainable nutrition interventions and stronger community health outcomes across Niger State.