Jigawa, Bauchi deepen collaboration on nutrition through knowledge sharing on ‘Masaki’ Programme
By Ali Baba-Inuwa 
Gov. Umar Namadi of Jigawa State has emphasized the importance of interstate collaboration and peer learning in improving healthcare delivery and addressing malnutrition across Nigeria, as the Bauchi State government commenced a study tour of Jigawa’s MASAKI nutrition programme.
The governor stated this on Wednesday while receiving a high-powered delegation from Bauchi State led by the commissioner for health and social welfare, Dr. Sani Muhammad Dambam, during a courtesy visit at Government House, Dutse.
The delegation, accompanied by Jigawa State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abdullahi Muhammad Kainuwa, included health experts, local government officials, budget and planning officers, and technical personnel from Bauchi State who are currently touring selected MASAKI programme sites across Jigawa State.
Speaking during the visit, Namadi described peer review and institutional collaboration among states as essential for improving governance outcomes and strengthening public service delivery.
“As leaders entrusted with the responsibility of governance, we all have a duty to ensure that quality services are delivered to our people and that the well-being of citizens continues to improve. This kind of collaboration and exchange of ideas is necessary if we truly want to strengthen service delivery across the country,” the governor said.
Namadi stated that health remains a central pillar of the Jigawa State Government’s 12-Point Development Agenda, with particular attention being given to maternal and child health, nutrition, and community-based healthcare interventions.
He explained that the MASAKI Programme was introduced as part of the state government’s broader strategy to tackle malnutrition at the grassroots level, especially among children and vulnerable households.
The governor stressed that nutrition remains a critical development issue because of its direct impact on children’s growth, learning capacity, and long-term productivity.
“When children suffer malnutrition at an early stage of life, it affects their future and ultimately affects society as a whole. That is why addressing nutrition is not only important; it is necessary.”
Namadi also highlighted another nutrition-focused intervention of the administration known as the Tom Brown Programme, designed to improve nutritional outcomes while simultaneously supporting women’s economic empowerment.
According to him, over 600 women across the state had recently been trained and supported with startup capital, processing equipment, and raw materials for the production of Tom Brown nutritional supplements.
He explained that the women were linked directly to primary healthcare centres where the products are procured and distributed free of charge to beneficiaries, thereby creating both nutritional and livelihood support systems within local communities.
Earlier in his remarks, the Bauchi State Commissioner for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Sani Muhammad Dambam, commended the Jigawa State Government for its hospitality and commitment to improving healthcare and nutrition outcomes.
Dambam said the visit was approved by the governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, as part of efforts to understudy the implementation of the MASAKI Programme and adopt workable strategies that could strengthen nutrition interventions in Bauchi State.
He disclosed that members of the delegation had already visited several programme sites and interacted with Jigawa’s technical teams to better understand the operational framework of the initiative.
According to him, the study visit would provide practical lessons capable of improving healthcare service delivery and nutrition programming in Bauchi State.
The Bauchi Commissioner also acknowledged the progress being made by Jigawa State in healthcare development and described the state’s nutrition initiatives as worthy of study and possible replication.
