Poverty fuelling malnutrition in Gombe – Official

The increase rate of poverty in Gombe state has reinforced the chain between malnutrition and the socio-economic development of people.

The Secretary to Gombe State Government, Prof. Ibrahim Njodi, said when when a delegation from the Accelerating Nutrition Result in Nigeria (ARiN), project, led by Omotayo Adeyemi, the Director of Social Development, Federal Ministry of Finance and Budget Planning paid him a courtesy visit in Gombe, that the high rate of poverty is fuelling malnutrition in Gombe state.

“Poverty is a key issue to what happens to the common man.

“When you talk to the common man what matters to him is how he can get food to fill his stomach. He is not concerned about a balanced diet.

“For us here, poverty is the main cause of the malnutrition problem.”

However, the SSG noted that the Gombe State government is working assiduously to get a sustainable partnership to address the challenge.

“When you talk about a special pot of soup, a particular soup that has many ingredients from vegetables, fish, kpomo, stockfish, many people in some states may be able to afford it, but here, I bet you many cannot afford N20 worth of beans with palm oil. When you see them, you see starvation, you see poverty.

“We are trying to see what we can do to make life easy for the common man. As a government, we are open to getting the needed support.

“We are also trying to empower our youth. We will use your expertise to take our people out of poverty. We will do our best.

“Be rest assured that our governor is ready to do whatever you think will bring our people out from poverty,” Njodi added.

The Special Adviser to the governor on Budget, Planning and Donor Coordination, Ishiyaku Mohammed, said ARiN is working across all sectors.

The production of 30,000 complimentary food for moderately malnourished children by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation is the first of its kind in the country.

Omotayo Adeyemi revealed that, the ARiN project is a five-year initiative aimed at improving nutrition in Nigeria, noting that Gombe is one of the implementing states.

The project, Adeyemi sai, is being piloted across Nafada, Balanga, and Yalmatu Deba in Gombe.

ARiN came in as an intervention project and Gombe happens to be one of the states for its implementation and the only state in the North East.

“We have been to the ministries of Education, Finance, the State House of Assembly to solicit for their support in the appropriation of nutrition budget line. The State House of Assembly has also promised to create a new committee on nutrition,” he added

Martha M/Punch