Lawal Joins Shettima-Led Delegation to Ethiopia for Nutrition Exchange
Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has joined a Federal Government delegation led by Vice President Kashim Shettima to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for a leadership and policy exchange focused on strengthening nutrition programmes at the sub-national level.
The delegation, approved by President Bola Tinubu, is scheduled to depart Nigeria on Tuesday for the Nigeria-Ethiopia Leadership Exchange holding from October 7 to 9, 2026. The visit will examine Ethiopia’s experience in implementing coordinated nutrition interventions and draw lessons that could support Nigeria’s Nutrition 774 Initiative.
Other governors on the delegation are AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State, Alex Otti of Abia State, Bassey Otu of Cross River State, Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State, Ademola Adeleke of Osun State and Umar Namadi of Jigawa State.
The exchange follows commitments made by the Federal Government at the 148th National Economic Council meeting during the launch of the Nutrition 774 Initiative, known as N774, which seeks to accelerate nutrition interventions across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.
Ethiopia’s Seqota Declaration will serve as a key reference point during the exchange. The initiative is recognised for its multisectoral approach to translating political commitment into coordinated, financed and accountable nutrition programmes at decentralised levels.
In 2015, the Ethiopian government committed to ending stunting among children under the age of two by 2030 through the Seqota Declaration.
The programme brings together nine government ministries and sectors, including health, agriculture, education, water, irrigation and energy, women, children and youth, transport, finance, labour and social affairs, and culture and tourism.
The Seqota Declaration is being implemented through a 15-year roadmap divided into three phases: Innovation, Expansion and Scale-Up.
The Nigerian delegation is expected to study how Ethiopia has coordinated interventions across government sectors and levels, as well as the financing and accountability mechanisms used to support the programme.
The exchange is expected to provide participating Nigerian officials with an opportunity to examine approaches that could strengthen nutrition planning, implementation and delivery across states and local government areas.
Lawal’s participation places Zamfara among the states represented in the sub-national policy exchange, alongside the other participating governors.
The visit is part of efforts to translate the Federal Government’s Nutrition 774 commitment into stronger action at the state and local government levels.
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