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.. Jeje speaks on tragic toll of toddler malnutrition
“We will never know the cost as a nation, as a people, the losses that we continue to incur because toddlers, our children, do not find the nutrition and minerals they need to adequately thrive and become all that they’re supposed to be.”
This was the charge delivered by Mrs. Oluwakemi Jeje, Founder, Community Pot, as she recounted painful stories of children lost to malnutrition, during the virtual launch of the Nutrition Support Centre (NSC), Lagos.
She emphasised that many of these tragedies could have been avoided if help had arrived earlier.
“Some children died before reaching six months due to poor maternal nutrition during pregnancy. Many mothers do not visit hospitals until it’s already critical, and by then, complications have set in,” she shared, illustrating the dire need for proactive interventions in maternal and child health.
The Lagos launch, which also marked the third anniversary of Community Pot, on May 27th, 2025, follows the successful rollout of the first NSC launch in Ibadan, Oyo State, in November 2024. The expansion signals a deepening commitment to addressing child malnutrition at the community level.
According to Jeje, the NSC model is designed to bridge the gap between hospitals and communities. Through community-based outreach, the centres aim to deliver nutrition education, improve access to nutrient-dense foods, and spearhead behaviour change campaigns; especially in peri-urban areas where the early signs of malnutrition are often missed.
“Eradicating malnutrition may still be a long stretch, but we have to protect our children in their most vulnerable states, and their moms during the preparatory stages of motherhood and pregnancy,” she added, reinforcing the need for early and sustained intervention.
Beyond awareness, Jeje stressed the socio-economic dimensions of the crisis, linking malnutrition not only to ignorance but to poverty.
“As part of its solution, the NSC trains ‘nutripreneurs’; women from the community who are empowered to earn a living while promoting nutrition. Empowering women is key to ensuring that no child goes hungry,” she stated.
Held under the theme “Bridging Nutrition Gaps in Peri-urban Communities,” the launch brought together key stakeholders from Lagos State’s public and private sectors, highlighting the urgent need for cross-sector collaboration to protect the nutritional well-being of mothers and children.
The event also featured panel discussions with experts from the development, finance, and agricultural sectors, all of whom underscored the importance of strategic funding and sustainable programming.
Country Manager, the SUN (Scale Up Nutrition) Business Network, Tomisin Odunmbaku, emphasised that nutrition programs must align with government priorities to attract both donor and state support.
“For any program to get the right funding, it must align with what the government is interested in at that time. Funders want real change, they want to know the impact their money will make”.
Odunmbaku further advocated for a blend of emergency and long-term responses, stressing the importance of building resilient local systems. He pointed to the value of training local food processors to produce fortified, affordable foods, rather than relying solely on imported therapeutic options.
In her contribution, Business Banking & Partnerships, VFD Microfinance Bank, Yonodu Okeugo, highlighted the perception problem nutrition programs face.
“Funders want a proven track record. We need to start positioning nutrition as a viable area for investment, not just charity,” she said, calling for a shift from seeing nutrition purely as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
Echoing these sentiments, Head of Women in Agriculture and Nutrition at the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Justina Balogun, emphasised the power of co-financing and collaboration. She noted that cross-sector collaboration allows different partners to combine efforts and resources for greater, more sustainable impact.
Community Pot is a social impact project dedicated to improving the nutrition and health of malnourished children in Nigeria. Since 2022, Community Pot has been a pillar of hope, serving over 500 children in underserved communities across Nigeria with specialised, organic protein meals.
Report by Blessing Osemobor
