CS-SUNN Commends Malnutrition Control Efforts In Jigawa

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CS-SUNN Commends Malnutrition Control Efforts In Jigawa
By: Ahmed Aminu, Dutse
The Jigawa State Chapter of Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) has commended the state for reducing malnutrition cases to 55 percent.
The commendation was made by the state’s CS-SUNN coordinator, Comrade Shu’aibu Musa Kafingana when the group paid an advocacy visit to the Ministry of Agriculture.
“The stunted rate in Jigawa state was 64 percent. A recent report indicated that the situation positively improved and has now dropped to 55 percent.
“This development is a a result of collaborative efforts between the government and Non Governmental Organisations on nutrition intervention and awareness,” he noted.
The CS-SUNN coordinator said that the visit to the ministry was to appreciate its contribution towards improving the nutrition situation in the state particularly for children and lactating mothers.
He however said that in spite of the laudable performance by the government, “there is still need to address some obstacles in budgetary provision and releases on nutrition for the state’s Agriculture and Rural Department Authority (JARDA).
“JARDA as an organisation has a vital role to play in nutrition sensitive intervention, including malnutrition prevention, but we leaned that there is no budgetary provision as it used to be in the fast”.
Kafingana said CS-SUNN is a strong advocate for nutrition and is working with about 400 CSOs in Nigeria.
“This is a non-governmental, non-profit alliance of organisations with a shared vision to transform Nigeria into a country where every citizen has food and is nutrition secure.
“Our strategic focus is premised on Partnership, Advocacy, Capacity Building, Evidence-based intervention, Service Delivery and institutionalisation of the movement.”
He stated further that CS-SUNN engages government and non-state actors to raise awareness, and sustain commitment and actions to tackle malnutrition.
The coordinator said they are working in partnership with policymakers, professional bodies, media and others to achieve national and international goals instrumental in attaining nutritional standards and rights in Nigeria.
Responding, the Permanent Secretary of  the ministry, Alhaji Muhammad Ilyasu, who stood in for the commissioner,  promised more commitment by the ministry to achieve the desire objectives in malnutrition control in the state.
He said ensuring food security is a key agenda of Governor Umar Namadi administration.
According to him, JARDA’s budget has a nutrition item, noting that the non release of funds was likely due to the fact that no request was made for such funds.

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