Community Pot has flagged-off its Lagos State Nutrition Support Centre (NSC) as part of efforts to expand its mission to combat toddlers malnutrition in underserved communities.
The Lagos launch which follows the successful rollout of the first NSC launch in Ibadan, Oyo State, in November 2024, signals a growing commitment to addressing malnutrition not just through awareness, but by building sustainable, community-based solutions.
Held under the theme “Bridging Nutrition Gaps in Peri-urban Communities,” the virtual event brought together key stakeholders from the public and private sectors, who discussed the urgent need for cross-sector collaboration to protect the nutritional well-being of mothers and children.
According to Mrs. Oluwakemi Jeje, Founder, Community Pot, the NSC model is designed to bridge the gap between hospitals and communities. The centres offer nutrition education, promote access to nutrient-dense foods, and drive behaviour change, especially in peri-urban areas where the early signs of malnutrition often go unnoticed.
“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 said, stressing the need for early and consistent intervention.
Jeje recounted the painful stories of children lost to malnutrition describing them as losses that could have been prevented with timely intervention.
“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,” she said.
She noted that some children die 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 added.
Jeje also addressed the socio-economic roots of malnutrition, linking it not only to ignorance but to poverty.
“Through the NSC, women in the community will be trained as ‘nutripreneurs’, earning income while promoting nutrition. Empowering women is key to ensuring that no child goes hungry,” she reiterated.
The event, which doubles as Community Pot’s third year anniversary on May 27, 2025, featured a panel of experts from the nutrition, finance, and agricultural sectors, all of whom stressed the importance of aligning initiatives with government priorities, securing sustainable funding, and fostering local ownership.
Country Manager, Scale Up Nutrition, Business Network, Tomisin Odunmbaku, emphasised that for any program to attract adequate funding, it must resonate with the government’s focus.
“Funders want real change, they want to know the impact their money will make,” he noted.
Odunmbaku advocated for blending short-term emergency responses with long-term development efforts, such as training local food processors to produce fortified and affordable foods, instead of relying on imported therapeutic options.
Business Banking & Partnerships, VFD Microfinance Bank, Yonodu Okeugo, echoed the call for sustainability, noting that nutrition must be viewed as a viable investment opportunity.
“Funders want a proven track record. We need to start positioning nutrition as a viable area for investment, not just charity,” she posted.
Supporting this view, Head of Women in Agriculture and Nutrition at the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Justina Balogun, stressed the role of co-financing in building impact. She explained 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.