Kaduna State government focuses on fighting malnutrition

The Kaduna State Government has shown its determination to fight malnutrition. This will be done by improving coordination and carrying out nutrition programs more effectively across all 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state.

This promise was made on Thursday in Zaria during a two-day meeting. The meeting was for the State Committee on Food and Nutrition (SCFN) and nutrition representatives from all 23 LGAs.

The Kaduna State Planning and Budget Commission (PBC) organized the meeting with support from UNICEF. They reviewed the nutrition activities done in the first and second quarters of the year. They also looked at the problems that are affecting how these programs are carried out.

Mukhtar Abdullahi, the Chairman of the State Committee on Food and Nutrition and Permanent Secretary of the Planning and Budget Commission, spoke at the meeting. He said the meeting showed the state's commitment to improving nutrition for its people.

He thanked UNICEF and other partners for their help with nutrition programs in Kaduna. He also praised the nutrition representatives for working together across different sectors to enhance nutrition for mothers, infants, and young children.

Abdullahi said the state is improving nutrition programs at the local level by providing more funds and encouraging teamwork among key sectors. He mentioned that the meeting would look at how much progress has been made, find gaps in the programs, and develop effective strategies to boost nutrition services in the state.

Earlier, Jibril Isah, the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for Nutrition at the Kaduna State Primary Healthcare Board, spoke about the state's strong commitment to tackling malnutrition. He mentioned that the state has been implementing its Multi-Sectoral Food and Nutrition Plan effectively.

Isah explained that the review would check the nutrition programs done in the last quarter. They will look for challenges and agree on steps to improve performance in all LGAs.

He highlighted that undernutrition is a major cause of child deaths. He noted that it contributes to more than 55 percent of deaths from diarrhea, 57 percent from malaria, and 45 percent from pneumonia among children.

Isah said that Vitamin A supplementation could cut deaths among children under five by up to 34 percent. It also helps protect them from diseases like measles, malaria, diarrhea, and pneumonia.

He added that regular deworming, nutrition screening, and promoting exclusive and complementary breastfeeding are important for improving child survival rates.

According to him, Kaduna had an 82 percent coverage of Vitamin A supplementation for children aged six to 59 months during the June 2026 Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week. Coverage was 81 percent for children aged six to 11 months and 83 percent for those aged 12 to 59 months.

Isah also mentioned that Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) screening had a 79 percent coverage statewide. Deworming coverage was at 36 percent.

He added that PENTA3 immunization coverage was 51 percent, while 39 percent of pregnant women received Sulphadoxine-Pyrimethamine throughout the state.

He said the review would help find areas that need improvement and support targeted efforts to enhance nutrition and maternal health services.

Priscilla Dariya, the Acting Director of the Development Aid Coordination Department at the Planning and Budget Commission, called on participants to come up with practical recommendations. These will help strengthen nutrition coordination in Kaduna State.

Ramatu Haruna, the Director of Nutrition at the Kaduna State Primary Healthcare Board, was represented by Christopher Moses, Deputy Programme Officer in the Micronutrient Deficiency Control Unit. He stressed the need for quality data, effective program implementation, and ongoing commitment from nutrition representatives.

In a goodwill message, Zainab Muhammad-Idris, the Kaduna State Coordinator of the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN 2.0) Project, was represented by Musa Abubakar, a Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist. She encouraged everyone to talk about the challenges they face and find practical solutions.

She expressed hope that the meeting would create a solid plan to guide the government, partners, and civil society organizations in carrying out effective nutrition programs.

Celestina Ayim, the Kaduna State Coordinator of Civil Society Scaling-Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN), was represented by Funmilayo Adeoye. She also confirmed the organization's commitment to helping the government improve nutrition outcomes in the state.