Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX Group), Health Emergency Initiative (HEI) and Lagos State Government have launched a joint initiative aimed at improving childcare and healthy living in the state.

The first community outreach under the initiative known as Project BLOOM or Bringing Life to Our Overlooked Minors, was held at Aiyetoro Primary Health Centre in Yaba under Lagos State Health District IV.

The project represented a bold show of support for the Lagos State Government’s fight against child malnutrition.

The multi-stakeholder initiative targets severely malnourished children and their caregivers in underserved communities across Lagos, combining nutritional aid, health support and practical caregiver education to create long-term impact.

The project aimed at supporting the state’s efforts to reduce preventable infant and under-five deaths.

Beneficiaries received Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTFs), health screenings, and hands-on training for mothers and caregivers on preparing nutritious, low-cost meals using locally available ingredients.

According to UNICEF, Nigeria ranks second globally in the percentage of children affected by stunting, with 32 per cent of children under five stunted and more than two million suffering from severe acute malnutrition, many without access to treatment.

Project BLOOM seeks to restore the health and dignity of hundreds of children across seven underserved Lagos communities: Ifako Ijaiye, Agege, Iwaya, Makoko, Bariga, Ilaje, and Ajegunle.

Group Managing Director, Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX Group) Plc, Mr. Temi Popoola, said NGX Group believes the growth of the financial markets must be matched by the growth of the communities.

According to him, Project BLOOM is a clear demonstration of how the Exchange can leverage its platform, partnerships, and people to address urgent social challenges like child malnutrition.

“By empowering our employees to lead from the front, we are reinforcing our belief that sustainable impact is achieved when the private sector, government, and civil society work together with urgency and purpose. This is not charity, it is an investment in the future resilience of our society and economy,” Popoola, who was represented by NGX Group’s Group Chief Finance, Investment & Strategy Officer, Mr. Adebayo Opatade, said.

Executive Director, Health Emergency Initiative (HEI), Dr. Pascal Achunine, underscored the urgency of the intervention.

He said: “We are taking the bull by the horn. We cannot sit on the sidelines while our children suffer from preventable malnutrition. Project BLOOM is about immediate action, meeting needs now while creating a sustainable path forward for caregivers and their children”.

Representing the Chairman of Yaba Local Council Development Area, Dr. Adebayo Adefuye, Honourable Oladimeji Saheed commended the “bold vision and compassion” of the programme and pledged community support. Dr. Oludolapo Shotunde, speaking on behalf of the Permanent Secretary of Lagos State Health District IV, Dr. Abimbola Bolawale, described the outreach as “a timely and commendable intervention” aligned with state health priorities.

Project BLOOM advances Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) by improving child nutrition and health outcomes, while also embodying SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) through its public-private-civil society collaboration.

This first outreach sets the stage for a series of interventions across Lagos, underpinned by a monitoring and evaluation framework to track beneficiaries’ nutritional recovery over a three-month period in partnership with local health authorities. Insights from this process will inform future community health interventions by NGX Group and its partners.