Francis Sardauna in Katsina
The Katsina State Government has announced a N1.7 billion investment in the state’s nutrition programme and related interventions aimed at improving child survival and public health outcomes.
The state Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda, disclosed this while declaring open the Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN) workshop held in Katsina at the Local Government Service Commission Hall.
He disclosed that the state government had committed N1.7 billion to the State Nutrition Programme and the State Committee on Nutrition to ensure coordinated and sustainable interventions across Katsina.
Radda described malnutrition as one of the greatest public health challenges confronting the state, with consequences that extend to education, household income, productivity and economic development.
The workshop, themed ‘Strengthening the Role of Nutritionists and Dieticians in the Katsina State Health System’, brought together health professionals, government officials and development partners.
The governor said addressing malnutrition is both a moral responsibility and a strategic investment in the state’s future prosperity.
Radda further revealed that additional Outpatient Therapeutic Programme (OTP) centres and nine stabilisation centres had been established to cater for children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
He added that the administration had released N700 million as counterpart funding for the ARIN Project 2.0, aimed at reducing malnutrition and improving child survival rates.
The governor also highlighted broader health sector reforms undertaken by his administration, including the upgrade and revitalisation of 268 Primary Health Centres across the state at a cost of N26.7 billion.
According to him, the intervention covered renovation works, provision of motorcycle ambulances, medical equipment, as well as improvements in water, sanitation and hygiene facilities to strengthen healthcare delivery.
Radda said the state had recruited nearly 800 healthcare workers comprising doctors, nurses, pharmacists and laboratory scientists to boost service delivery, while seven comprehensive healthcare centres had been upgraded to general hospitals.
He disclosed that the government approved N950 million for the payment of allowances to Katsina State medical students studying in Nigeria and abroad between 2020 and 2023.
On food security, the governor said more than 90,000 bags of food commodities had been distributed to vulnerable households, while improved seedlings, fertilisers and over 400 tractors had been provided to support agricultural production over the past three years.
He stressed that infrastructure and funding alone could not eliminate malnutrition, calling for behavioural change, community participation and evidence-based interventions.
“We must promote exclusive breastfeeding, improve maternal nutrition, strengthen nutrition education and utilise locally available food resources to achieve balanced diets,” he said.
Radda also encouraged the use of indigenous crops such as moringa, noting that Katsina possesses enormous agricultural potential that could be harnessed to tackle malnutrition through proper nutrition education.
He urged the Nutrition Society of Nigeria and other stakeholders to intensify research, advocacy and public enlightenment efforts to improve nutrition outcomes in the state.
Earlier, the Statistician-General of the state, Professor Kabir Ibrahim Matazu, described nutrition as a strategic investment in human capital development and commended the state government’s reforms in the health sector.
Also speaking, Dr. Maimuna Aliyu Ladidi underscored the importance of strengthening the role of nutritionists and dieticians in the healthcare system and called for increased investment in nutrition services and professional development.
The Chairperson of the Katsina State Nutrition Committee, Hajiya Rukayya Hamza Usman, lauded Governor Radda for prioritising health and nutrition, while the Kanwan Katsina, Alhaji Usman Bello, urged stakeholders to strengthen collaboration towards improving nutrition outcomes across the state.
The event was attended by members of the state executive council, representatives of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, development partners, health professionals and other stakeholders.
