Northern governors pledge to combat malnutrition in region
From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Some northern governors have pledged to partner with the Federal Government and some local and international development partners to combat the rising scourge of malnutrition in the region.
Governors of Niger (Umar Bago), Zamfara (Dauda Lawal), Katsina (Umar Dikko Radda)
Kebbi (Nasir Idris) made the commitment in Abuja, at a policy dialogue organised by the Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership.
The governors admitted that there’s escalating issue of malnutrition in northern Nigeria, hence the decision to team up with Ministries of the Federal Government, and development partners to tackle the issue.
In his remarks, the Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, highlighted the importance of agriculture as a strategy to combat malnutrition and hunger in the region and beyond.
He emphasized the need for improved agricultural practices to ensure the production of high-quality, nutritious foods, noting that addressing malnutrition begins with addressing food insecurity.
He stressed the significance of both the quantity and quality of food available to the population, pointing out that balanced nutrition is crucial for the overall health of the people.
Zamfara governor, Dauda Lawal, called for a renewed focus on the North West and North Central regions, urging development partners to avoid regional biases with a sustained focus on the North East.
On his side, the Governor Umar Dikko Radda of Katsina emphasised the need for immediate action, pledging counterpart funding for nutritional interventions in his State.
Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, represented by his deputy, Umar Abubakar Tafida, reiterated the stateâs immediate readiness to partner with stakeholders to assist malnourished citizens.
Meanwhile, the Founder and Chancellor of the Athena Centre, Osita Chidoka, in his remarks, asked stakeholders to unite, to save the lives of young Nigerians who facing acute malnutrition, emphasizing the urgent need for collaborative efforts to address issue.
He explained that Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership is a non-profit and non-partisan research institute operating at the junction of theory and practice in public policy and leadership.
He highlighted the alarming rate of malnutrition in the northern region and advocated a national awakening to the malnutrition problem, stressing the importance of coordinated efforts between the federal and state governments, as well as international partners.
He informed the participants that the next step after the dialogue would be developing a working paper for a coherent national policy, and also identifying sustainable funding mechanisms.
He explained: “This working paper will, expectedly, address the immediate medical issues of malnutrition and the long-term need for national food security through increased food production and fortification. However, the outcome of this dialogue will be forwarded to the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, as the Chairman of the National Council on Nutrition.”
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate, informed the participants about various interventions by the Federal Government, including establishing several treatment sites equipped with locally sourced, ready-to-use therapeutic foods for acute malnutrition cases in the northeast.
The Minister highlighted the gaps in the northwest and advocated mobilising support to fill the gaps, including sourcing millions of doses of micronutrient supplements for distribution across the states.
Minister of Agriculture, Senator Abubakar Kyari, represented by the Director of Nutrition and Food Safety in the Ministry, Mrs. Fatima Sugra, presented key measures and ongoing efforts of the Ministry to fix the challenges, and also outlined plans for long-term food production and fortification.
Country Director of MÊdecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Dr. Simba Tirima, in a presentation highlighted that approximately 2.6 million children in Nigeria suffer severe acute malnutrition, with another nine million moderately malnourished.
Similarly, World Bank Lead for Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria, Ritgak Tilley-Gyado, proposed actions to improve governance and coordination, create social protection programmes, and deploy cross-sectoral nutrition innovations for health and healthy diets.
