Kaduna State Committee on Food and Nutrition, SCFN says in it’s 2025 budget, it would push for allocation for Ministries Departments and Agencies who do not have budgetary provision for nutrition in the state.
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The Chairman of the Committee, Mr Bashir Muhammad stated while speaking to newsmen at a two-day second quarter review and coordination meeting of the committee at the state’s Planning and Budget Commission in Kaduna.
The second quarter review and coordination meeting was supported by Alive & Thrive, a global nutrition initiative for improving the health and wellbeing of women, children and adolescents.
Muhammad who doubles as the Permanent Secretary of the Planning and Budget Commission explained that after the second quarter review meeting, they will look at the challenges where some MDAs in the state do not have budgetary provision for nutrition activities.
The Chairman further stated that, the meeting focused on updates on MDAs’ nutrition interventions, orienting stakeholders on Multi-Micronutrient Supplements (MMS) and their importance, fostering partnerships for coordinated scaling-up of nutrition initiatives and reviewing performance management appraisal.
He emphasized that the essence of the committee was to meet on quarterly basis with all the stakeholders in Kaduna state to discuss the menace of malnutrition.
According to Muhammad, the urgency of addressing malnutrition is the committee’s collective responsibility to ensure that every citizen, especially vulnerable populations have access to nutritious food and essential healthcare.
“When stakeholders meet, they make presentations on the status and implementation of the measures of combating nutrition issues in the state.”
“When stakeholders make their presentations, the committee will look into the success stories on achieving targets aimed at reducing malnutrition in the state and then discover the challenges.”
He Chairman said the challenges may sometimes be funding and others things which were discussed in the meeting during which some of the NGOs or partners support in addressing the challenges.
He however disclosed that, there are challenges the state government could handle where the committee Chairman take to the Commissioner for planning commission and then to the Governor to be addressed.
Speaking further, he disclosed that the committee would expand its membership to incorporate additional MDAs like the Livestock Regulatory Commission to bolster nutrition efforts.
The State Team Lead of Alive & Thrive, Mrs Sarah Kwasu said they were at front burner of promoting the uptake of Multiple Micronutrients Supplement (MMS) in the state, along side other partners and the government on the course.
Kwasu said a single tablet of the MMS contains 11-15 vitamins and minerals that would prevent anemia for pregnant women and their children.
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