Jigawa Receives N500m RUTF to Treat 14, 000 Malnourished Children
By: Ahmed Aminu, Dutse
The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has presented N500 million worth of Ready to Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF) for the treatment of over 14, 000 children with acute and severe malnutrition in Jigawa State.
The RUTF was handed over to the state Governor, Malam Umar Namadi, who said the vital food came at the right time as the 70 centres managing malnutrition cases were running out of supply.
He hailed UNICEF, describing it as the oldest and most consistent development partner supporting the state in the delivery of basic social services especially those that promote the survival, protection and development of women and children.
According to him, UNICEF has for over three decades provided support in the areas of health and nutrition, basic education, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, social policy development, and social protection interventions, among others
He noted that the RUTF and other interventions would address concerns raised in the report on the situation analysis of children in the state.
“These concerns include ensuring nutrition security for our children given the uunfavourable statistics on such nutrition indices as wasting and stunting among children in the state,” Namadi said.
The governor assured that the state was “committed to doing whatever is necessary to change the narratives by sustaining and improving on all ongoing nutrition programmes including the ongoing collaboration with UNICEF, to ensure that no child in the state is allowed to experience hunger and malnutrition”.
“We all believe, the biggest tragedy that could happen to a child is to be afflicted with malnutrition at the formative stage of his or her life, as the consequences of such an affliction are irreversible. With a hampered cognitive capacity, the child is prevented from attaining his or her full potentials in life”.
He promised to sustain and improve the homegrown Masaki Nutrition Programme, which was meant to leverage on locally available recipes with significant and positive impact on child nutrition.
UNICEF Country Director, Ms Cristian Munduate said for the past three years, Jigawa state has shown remarkable leadership in nutrition, health, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene through consistent fund releases, quality service delivery, and creating a strong enabling environment.
Ms Cristian told the governor that the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF) supported by key partners such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The Childrens Investment Fund Foundation, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office UK amongst others and managed by UNICEF, is a unique funding instrument.
“Jigawa State was one of the early adopters of the Child Nutrition Fund, releasing N250 million in 2023. UNICEF matched this amount, enabling the procurement of much needed RUTF. This initiative will treat around 14,000 children with severe wasting, marking the largest contribution by any state in Nigeria under the CNF to date”.
“Malnutrition in Nigeria is on the rise, driven by conflict, forced displacement, and increasing food insecurity due to limited accessibility and affordability. Nigeria currently has the highest number of malnourished children in Africa and the second highest globally, with over 9 million children wasted”.
The UNICEF country representative said Jigawa state shares this burden, “with 64% of children stunted, nearly 10 % wasted, and around 82 % suffering from anaemia. Over 80% of children experience food poverty, lacking a diverse diet to support growth and development”.
She described the figures as “staggering”, but said despite these challenges, Jigawa State has been proactive in nutrition, health, and WASH programmes.
“Last year, the state procured nearly 4,700 cartons of RUTF, treating over 5,000 children. Jigawa’s innovative Masaki Nutrition Programme, with 300 community sites fully funded by the government, focuses on malnutrition prevention.
“Trained community health workers are deployed across the state, making Jigawa the first state in Nigeria to implement such a community nutrition programme,” Ms Cristian said.
