UNICEF expands child nutrition programmes in Gombe and Lagos states, Nigeria

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has launched two major child‑nutrition initiatives in Nigeria. In Gombe State, the programme targets the first 1,000 days of life, aiming to improve maternal nutrition, boost exclusive breastfeeding, promote appropriate complementary feeding, prevent micronutrient deficiencies and strengthen community‑based nutrition services. The effort involves the state government, Latter‑day Saints Charities, traditional and faith‑based groups, and civil‑society organisations, and aligns with Nigeria’s Nutrition 774 Initiative and national food‑nutrition policies.

In Lagos State, UNICEF and the state government have begun the first round of the 2026 Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week, seeking to reach about three million children under five. The campaign will deliver vitamin A supplements, deworming tablets, malnutrition screening for infants and micronutrient supplements for pregnant women. UNICEF supplied the vitamin A capsules and micronutrients, while Lagos pledged significant financial support for the effort.