Lagos expands maternal nutrition programme to 5,000 women

The Lagos State Government has expanded its annual maternal and child nutrition intervention to 5,000 pregnant women across the state’s six health districts, more than doubling the number of beneficiaries reached under the programme last year.

The intervention, under the 2026 Mother, Infant and Child Development Programme, is being implemented through the Office of Political, Legislative and Civic Engagement, with the Health District I edition held in Abekoko, Agege, on Monday.

Speaking at the flag-off, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Political, Legislative and Civic Engagement, Afolabi Tajudeen, said the programme was designed not only to provide nutritional support to pregnant women but also to connect vulnerable families with healthcare services.

He said the initiative formed part of the state’s wider social protection programme, adding that the health of mothers and children had implications for the state’s long-term development.

“The initiative is designed to promote maternal and child wellbeing, improve access to essential nutritional support and strengthen awareness of available healthcare services,” Tajudeen said.

He added that the programme reflected the government’s commitment to “social protection, support for vulnerable families and ensuring that women and children are not left behind in the development process.”

According to him, the state would distribute 5,000 nutritional food packs to pregnant women across the six health districts this year, compared with more than 2,000 beneficiaries in 2025.

He said the programme was also intended to provide the government with an opportunity to hear directly from residents about the challenges they faced in accessing healthcare and other public services.

“Beyond the distribution of food packs, the initiative serves as an opportunity for the Government to engage directly with residents, get their feedback and strengthen the connection between Government programmes and the people they are designed to serve,” he said.

The Permanent Secretary, Office of Political, Legislative and Civic Engagement, Sholabomi Shasore, said the programme was similarly intended to narrow the gap between the government and the communities it served.

• Why Nigerians should stop boiling eggs, rice together – Experts
• Rail: Solution to Lagos-Ibadan Expressway gridlock
• Lagos vows to resolve two-week ASUU strike

She urged residents to speak openly about their experiences with government services, saying such feedback could help officials identify gaps and improve the delivery of healthcare and other services.

“Direct feedback from residents would enable the Government to understand community needs better, identify areas requiring attention and strengthen policies and programmes aimed at improving the quality of life of families across Lagos State,” Shasore said.

She also appealed to healthcare workers to provide feedback from the communities they served, saying their observations were essential to identifying weaknesses in grassroots healthcare delivery.

The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Health District I, Sola Pitan, urged residents to make greater use of public health facilities and take precautions against diphtheria.

Pitan said the state government provides diphtheria treatment free and urged residents who develop symptoms or suspect exposure to seek medical attention without delay.

He also encouraged residents to register for Ilera Eko, the state’s health insurance scheme, while urging parents and caregivers to ensure that their children received routine immunisation.

The Executive Chairman of Orile-Agege LCDA, Akinola Idowu, said the programme provided residents with access to a range of services, including routine immunisation, family planning, vitamin A supplementation, malnutrition screening, birth registration, maternal healthcare, HIV screening, and tuberculosis screening and treatment.

The programme also featured the distribution of food packs containing dry pap, milk, beverage, oat flour, Semovita, beans, Garri, rice and eggs to pregnant women.

The intervention comes as the Lagos Government continues to use MICHD as part of its broader social intervention and community engagement programmes.