Vice‑President Shettima leads Nigerian delegation to Ethiopia for nutrition leadership exchange

Vice‑President Kashim Shettima traveled from Abuja to Addis Ababa this week to lead Nigeria’s delegation at a government‑to‑government peer exchange on strengthening nutrition delivery.

The event, described by Nigerian officials as the Nigeria‑Ethiopia Nutrition Leadership Exchange Forum, runs from Wednesday through Friday this week, according to a statement issued by the Office of the Vice‑President and reported by local media. Shettima’s trip follows an invitation from Ethiopia’s deputy prime minister, Temesgen Tiruneh, who has been promoting a multi‑sectoral strategy to improve nutrition outcomes in his country.

What the visit involves

Sources say the forum is a peer exchange focused on accelerating nutrition delivery, bringing together officials from both countries to share experiences and approaches. Nigerian reports note that Shettima is attending as head of the Nigerian delegation; the Ethiopian deputy prime minister extended the invitation under his country’s multi‑sectoral nutrition agenda.

Why it matters

Malnutrition and poor nutrition outcomes remain pressing development challenges across many African countries. Officials framed the exchange as an opportunity to learn from each country’s policies and implementation strategies, and to explore collaborative approaches that could speed up delivery of nutrition services and programmes.

Details from officials

Local media citing the Office of the Vice‑President reported Shettima’s departure from Abuja and his arrival in Addis Ababa. The invitation from Temesgen Tiruneh and the emphasis on a multi‑sectoral approach were mentioned in coverage by national newspapers. Beyond those points, the reports do not provide further particulars on the forum’s agenda, participating ministers or any planned announcements.

Next steps

The forum is scheduled to conclude later this week. Nigerian coverage indicates the visit is part of official bilateral engagement on nutrition but does not list follow‑up activities or outcomes. Any agreements or joint statements that result from the exchange have not been reported in the available sources.

Context

Both Nigeria and Ethiopia have been working on policy responses to improve nutrition, and peer exchanges are a common mechanism to transfer lessons and scale up effective interventions. The deputy prime minister’s promotion of a cross‑sector approach in Ethiopia underscores a regional interest in combining health, agriculture, education and social protection measures to address malnutrition.

Reporting on this trip is based on official statements and coverage by Nigerian news outlets announcing the vice‑president’s travel, the forum dates, and the invitation from Ethiopian authorities.