The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction (FMHAPR) has intensified efforts to tackle child malnutrition and household poverty in Nasarawa State by promoting affordable, locally sourced nutritious foods and equipping women with practical knowledge to improve family nutrition.

The initiative was highlighted on Thursday, October 15, 2026, at the Scale-Up Feeding for All Pupils with Varieties of Locally Sourced Nutritious Food Programme, held at the Etsu of Karu Palace, New Karu, Nasarawa State.

In opening remarks delivered on behalf of the Permanent Secretary, Mr Olubunmi Olusanya, by the Deputy Director and Head of the Nutrition Department, Mrs Mfawa Tom Usani the Ministry reaffirmed the Federal Government's commitment to addressing hunger and malnutrition, particularly among children from vulnerable households.

The Permanent Secretary stressed that good nutrition is essential to children's physical growth, cognitive development and learning capacity. He added that promoting locally sourced foods would encourage dietary diversity, support local farmers and food producers, and contribute to sustainable livelihoods and poverty reduction.

He described investment in child nutrition as an investment in Nigeria's human capital and called on stakeholders to ensure the effective implementation and sustainability of the initiative.

The Queen of Karu, Her Royal Majesty Adaluka Panya, commended the Ministry for bringing the programme to the community, describing its practical food demonstrations as impressive and beneficial to women and families.

She said the use of foodstuffs from local markets showed how nutritious meals could be prepared with limited financial resources. She urged women to apply the knowledge acquired, stressing that healthy family meals do not necessarily require substantial expenditure when local ingredients are properly used.

On behalf of the Karu Kingdom, the Queen thanked the Federal Government, through the Ministry, and said the initiative would benefit households while supporting local farmers and food suppliers.

In his closing remarks, the Assistant Director, Nutrition Department, Mr Ibrahim Dantani Mohammed, thanked the Nasarawa State Government, participating ministries, departments and agencies, development partners, traditional and community leaders, parents, food vendors, farmers and all other stakeholders for their support.

He said the Federal Government remained committed to building a Nigeria where every child has access to safe, adequate, diverse and nutritious food, irrespective of socio-economic circumstances. He added that the Ministry looked forward to continued collaboration to scale up nutrition-sensitive feeding interventions across the country.

The highlight of the event was a cooking training session using locally sourced nutritious food items.