Nasarawa stakeholders promise collective efforts to curb malnutrition

Stakeholders in Nasarawa State have pledged to collaborate in addressing the growing issue of malnutrition, which primarily affects women and children in the state. 

Stakeholders from Doma, Lafia, Obi, and Nassarawa-Eggon Local Government Areas (LGAs) pledged on Friday in Lafia at a one-day workshop organised by the Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN).

The participants at the workshop included officials of the Ministries of Health, Budget and Planning and Nasarawa State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NAPHDA), Local Government Chairmen, Speakers of LGAs, Civil Society organisations, community leaders among others.

Speaking at the event, Halima Yusuf, Director of Nutrition and Diarrhoea Control, 

Nasarawa State Ministry of Health, said that malnutrition was still alarming across the 13 LGAs of the state.

She explained that Awe LGA is the worst hit with the highest number of malnourished children and pregnant women.

The director explained that a lack of eating nutritious foods has devastating effects on individuals, families, and communities thereby leading to stunted growth and even deaths.

She said that malnutrition is still a significant problem in the state, with many children under the age of five suffering from stunted growth and other nutrition-related health issues.

Yusuf identified several factors contributing to malnutrition in the state, including poverty, lack of access to nutritious food, and poor feeding practices.

"There are a lot of things and vegetables within the environment and household that people can add to their meals that are capable of tackling malnutrition.

"So, there is a need to invest in nutrition education across all communities of the state to enable the people know how to prepare nutritional foods using local sources," she added.

On his part, Abdul Isa-Osama, Director of Budget and the Ministry of Budget and Planning, acknowledged that malnutrition is a multifaceted issue that requires a comprehensive approach, involving government, communities, and individuals to tackle.

He explained that the state and local government were committed to providing the necessary funding required to support efforts geared towards tackling malnutrition in the state.

He further explained that the state government had recently approved and released N125 million counterpart funding for the supplies of Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS), a leading drug in tackling anaemia.

The Director further disclosed that the Chairmen of the 13 LGAs in the state had increased the allocations for nutrition-related issues in their 2025 and 2026 budgets in an effort towards helping to tackle malnutrition in the state. 

Also, Illiya Ibn-Aliyu, Executive Chairman of Nassarawa-Eggon LGA who spoke on behalf of the LGA Chairmen in the state reinstated their commitment in support of the effort to curtail malnutrition in the state.

The Chairman explained that the LGAs henceforth would give serious attention to issues related to nutrition brought before them and give express approval to funds needed for nutrition activities in their respective areas.

Ibn-Aliyu further promised that nutrition would form part of the agenda to be discussed at the monthly meetings of LGA Chairmen in the state because of the seriousness they attach to tackling the menace.

CS-SUNN Senior Communications Officer,  Lilian Okafor noted that malnutrition remains one of the most persistent public health and nutritional challenges despite being preventable and treatable.

She emphasised that it affecting mostly women of reproductive age, children and adolescents and has great impacts on the maternal mortality, child development, productivity and national growth.

The Communication Officer appealed to the state and LGAs to increase the funding for nutrition programmes and ensure timely release of the funds as the only way to defeat malnutrition.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the stakeholders at the pledged to go back to their communities and spread the message of good nutrition and encourage the people to source for locally to prevent malnutrition. (NAN).