By Tunde Omolehin, Sokoto
Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto has reiterated his administration’s commitment to tackle the surge of severe acute malnutrition among children in the state.
The Governor made the commitment this morning during a high-level advocacy visit to Sokoto, led by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Prof. Nantewa Yilwatda.
In a statement signed by his Director General, Media and Publicity, Mal. Abubakar Bawa, Governor Aliyu said N500 million has been earmarked to fight the rising severe acute malnutrition affecting children across the state.
The governor further reiterated his administration’s commitment to improving the healthcare delivery system and wellbeing of the citizens.
He however, thanked the United Nations Children’s Fund, an agency of the United Nations, for its dedication to providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide.
He also appreciated its partners for their unwavering support across the health and education sectors in the state.
Speaking earlier, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Prof. Nantewa Yilwatda, lauded the State Government and its development partners for combating malnutrition, particularly the surge in Severe Acute Malnutrition among children.
The Minister urged both the federal and state governments to scale up their commitments and resources toward addressing the nutrition crisis in the region.
She, however, called on the State Government to explore homegrown solutions in nutrition production, especially through its capacity for large-scale grain production.
Prof. Yilwatda notes that the visit underscored the critical need for immediate, coordinated, and sustained efforts from all levels of government and development partners to curb the worsening malnutrition situation in Sokoto State.
The European Union’s Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Gautier Mignot, commended the state government for its hospitality.
He reaffirmed the European Union’s commitment to supporting malnourished and vulnerable children across Sokoto and Nigeria at large.
The UNICEF Country Representative, Ms Cristian Munduate described the current nutrition crisis as alarming, citing findings from a recent SMART survey.
She announced that UNICEF had provided N1.5 billion in counter-funding to support the state’s efforts and encouraged the adoption of local and sustainable approaches to address SAM.
The advocacy delegation later visited a health facility in the state capital alongside the Deputy Governor, where they observed the treatment of SAM cases managed by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and UNICEF.
