Jigawa Govt, Nutrition International Unveil Programme To Enhance Antenatal Care, Reduce Maternal Mortality
By: Ahmed Aminu, Dutse
The Jigawa State Government is set to implement a new programme, in collaboration with Nutrition International (NI), aimed at boosting Antenatal Care (ANC) attendance and improving maternal health outcomes in two local government areas of the state.
The Syndicate reports that the Behaviour Change Intervention (BCI) will be implemented in
Birninkudu and Buji Local Government Areas.
The new initiative was unveiled during a one-day stakeholders’ engagement held at the Manpower Development Institute (MDI) in Dutse, where NI reaffirmed its commitment to advancing maternal and child nutrition across the state.
Speaking on behalf of the Country Director, the Senior Programme Officer Ajodele Gbemileke said Nutrition International has sustained a strong partnership with Jigawa State since 2020—particularly in interventions centered on women and children.
According to him, the BCI pilot programme will focus on increasing demand for ANC services while ensuring pregnant women consistently adhere to daily intake of Iron–Folic Acid and Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS), both crucial for healthy pregnancy outcomes.
“Our objective is simple—ensure pregnant women attend ANC clinics and take their supplements correctly and consistently. This directly reduces complications and contributes to safer pregnancies,” he said.
Dr. Osita further revealed that the new intervention will be fully integrated into the state’s Masaki platform to strengthen community-level engagement and deepen outreach to women and children.
He noted that while NI has been implementing Behaviour Change activities in seven LGAs since 2020, the new pilot specifically targets Birninkudu and Buji through the Masaki structure, a move he described as strategic.
“The Masaki platform already has strong grassroots acceptance. It gives us an effective channel to reach the women and households we want to impact,” he added.
Under the arrangement, NI and the Jigawa Government will train 240 frontline health workers across four clusters—Dutse, Gumel, Hadejia and Kazaure. The training will focus on Maternal Nutrition Services (MNS), equipping health workers with internationally compliant skills to improve service delivery.
Dr. Osita stressed that building the capacity of frontline workers is central to reducing maternal deaths and achieving long-term sustainability of ANC-related nutrition interventions in the state.
He appealed to the state government, local councils, religious and traditional institutions, and other key partners to intensify support for the programme to ensure its successful rollout.
