Kaduna:The Kaduna State Government has announced its goal of achieving zero malnutrition by enhancing grassroots mobilisation, fostering community ownership, and increasing investments in nutrition initiatives. This announcement was made by Mr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Commissioner of the Kaduna State Planning and Budget Commission, during a high-level stakeholders’ engagement in Kaduna.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Ahmed emphasized the crucial role of proper nutrition in shaping the future of Kaduna, noting its impact on children’s survival, productivity, and community development. He highlighted the state’s ongoing commitment to strengthening nutrition through robust policy, planning, financing, service delivery, and collaboration with development partners. Ahmed also stressed the importance of grassroots activities in successful nutrition interventions, urging local government chairmen’s spouses to advocate for exclusive breastfeeding, complementary feeding, maternal nutrition, and early malnutrition identification.
Mrs. Jummai Bako, Kaduna State Head of Service, underscored the significance of repeated engagements on nutrition, reflecting the government’s dedication to the issue. She encouraged the involvement of women councillors’ wives in advocacy efforts due to their close ties to communities, aiming for zero malnutrition in the state.
Mr. Jessy David, Chairman of the Kaduna State House of Assembly Committee on Food and Nutrition Security, reiterated the fundamental importance of nutrition for societal growth and development. He assured ongoing legislative support to combat malnutrition and improve the wellbeing of women and children, advocating for grassroots-level participation in nutrition interventions.
Gloria Ibrahim, Commissioner for Youth Development, described nutrition as essential for building a robust and intellectually capable youth population. She expressed her ministry’s readiness to collaborate with stakeholders to enhance the physical and mental capacity of future generations.
UNICEF’s Chief of Field Office in Kaduna, Dr. Gerida Birukila, represented by Chinwe Ezeife, Nutrition Specialist, affirmed UNICEF’s commitment to supporting government efforts in providing equitable access to quality nutrition services. The meeting was deemed crucial for directly engaging communities to improve nutrition outcomes for children and women.
Ramatu Haruna, Director of Nutrition Services at the Kaduna State Primary Health Care Board, reported significant progress in treating severe acute malnutrition among children. She noted that Kaduna had successfully treated about 42,000 severely malnourished children with therapeutic food, with substantial enrollment and cure rates in the first half of 2026.
Mrs. Celestina Ayim, Coordinator of Civil Society Calling up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN), emphasized that nutrition financing should encompass resources beyond money, including skills, commodities, and partnerships. She urged local government chairmen’s spouses to mobilize communities, amplify nutrition messages, and monitor resource utilization, viewing nutrition as an investment in human capital development.
Shehu Yunusa, Chairman of the Kaduna State House of Assembly Committee on Appropriation, pledged support for enhanced nutrition financing in the 2027 state budget. He assured that nutrition-related budget lines would be adequately represented to ensure effective intervention delivery.
The engagement event, reported by the News Agency of Nigeria, brought together government officials, development partners, legislators, and nutrition stakeholders to reinforce collective action on nutrition. The event concluded with recognition and cash prizes awarded to three outstanding spouses of LGA chairmen from Makarfi, Jaba, and Soba for their support of nutrition interventions in their areas.