Abuja: The Katsina State Government has inaugurated the 2026 SMART Nutrition Survey to generate reliable data for evidence-based planning and improved nutrition interventions across the state. The Statistician-General of the Katsina State Bureau of Statistics, Prof. Saifullahi Sani, emphasized the survey’s role as a critical investment in the survival, growth, and development of children and the wellbeing of women of reproductive age.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Sani highlighted the importance of statistics beyond mere numbers, as they form the evidence upon which governments base decisions, allocate resources, monitor progress, and assess the effectiveness of public interventions. The 2025 SMART Survey reported a Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) prevalence of 7.4 percent, stunting at 46.3 percent, and underweight at 25.8 percent among children in the state. Encouraging trends were observed with a decline in GAM from 13.5 percent in 2022 to 7.4 percent in 2025, though high levels of stunting and underweight remain concerning.
Sani pointed out the need for improved infant and young child feeding practices, despite a breastfeeding rate of 97.9 percent in 2025, exclusive breastfeeding was only 21.2 percent, and minimum dietary diversity stood at 28.5 percent. Factors contributing to nutrition challenges in the state include inflation, conflict, displacement, poverty, large family size, childhood morbidity, and inadequate intervention coverage.
The Statistician-General noted that approximately 73,500 people in Katsina faced emergency food insecurity between October and December 2025, with further deterioration expected during the June to August lean season. The state government has expanded treatment services for acute malnutrition, increasing Outpatient Therapeutic Programme (OTP) sites from 147 in 2024 to 332 in 2025, and Stabilisation Centres from seven to 14. In 2026, this expansion will cover all 34 local government areas.
The survey aims to assess wasting, stunting, and underweight among children aged 0-59 months, alongside mortality rates, childhood morbidity, nutrition intervention coverage, maternal nutrition, infant and young child feeding practices, health-seeking behavior, and key Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene indicators. It will utilize a cross-sectional household survey design and a two-stage cluster sampling approach for statistically robust findings.
Sani urged field personnel to adhere to approved methodology and appealed to security agencies, traditional, religious, and community leaders to support the survey teams. UNICEF Planning and Monitoring Specialist, Nura Shehu, praised the Katsina State Government for its commitment to improving nutritional wellbeing and emphasized the importance of reliable and timely nutrition data for effective intervention targeting.
Shehu commended Gov. Dikko Radda for his leadership and for being the first governor in Nigeria to allocate specific budgetary resources for a SMART Nutrition Survey. This decision underscores the value of quality data as an investment in better planning, accountability, and outcomes for children and families. He urged the government and partners to translate survey findings into actionable policies and encouraged community support for the successful generation and utilization of credible nutrition data.