From Agaju Madugba, Katsina
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says it is worried by the prevalence of stunted growth, as well as the inability of Katsina State to attain Open Defecation Free (ODF) status.
Speaking in Katsina on Thursday, during the 2024 end-of-year review meeting and the 2025-2027 workplan in the area, Chief of UNICEF Field Office Kano, Mr Rahama Mohammed, noted that cases of stunted growth among children are on the rise in the state.
He said that this development occurred despite what he called a significant decrease in stunted growth cases in neighbouring Kano and Jigawa states.
He urged stakeholders to look into the issue with a view to addressing it.
Mohammed said that UNICEF was working with the government to ensure that Katsina attains ODF status by 2025.
Reports indicate that more than 46 million Nigerians engage in open defecation, and that Jigawa is the first state to attain ODF status in 2022, as certified by the National Task Group on Sanitation (NTGS).