July 09, (THEWILL) – The Jigawa State Government has completed arrangements to release over 12,400 cartons of Ready-To-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) to UNICEF for treatment of severe wasting among malnourished children.
A statement by Hajiya Zainab Rabo Ringim, the Senior Special Assistant Media Affairs to the State Governor, said the RUTF consignment worth about N500 million was procured under a Matching Fund arrangement between the State Government and UNICEF’s Child Health Grant with a 1:1 funding ratio.
Hajiya Zainab stated that Governor Umar Namadi, who disclosed this when he received in the audience the UNICEF Country Representative in Nigeria, Ms Cristian Munduate and members of her team, said the governor leveraged the auspicious visit by the Country Representative to carry out the foundation laying ceremony for the revitalisation of 30 Primary Healthcare Facilities across each of the 30 State Constituencies in the State.
The Senior Special Assistant Media Affairs said the governor stressed that the collaborative efforts with UNICEF leading to the delivery of “this high-quality therapeutic food for the treatment of hundreds of malnourished children in our centres for Community Management of Acute Malnutrition are, indeed, very timely as the product is almost out of stock in our over seventy (70) CMAM Centers spread all over the State.”
“The intervention is also in line with our commitments to address concerns raised in the report on the Situation Analysis of Children in Jigawa.
“Specifically, these concerns include ensuring nutrition security for our children given the unfavourable statistics on such nutrition indices as wasting and stunting among children in the State.
“We are more than ever before, committed to doing whatever is necessary to change the narratives by sustaining and improving on all ongoing nutrition programmes including the ongoing collaboration with UNICEF, to ensure that no child in the State is allowed to experience hunger and malnutrition”, Umar Namadi said.
Hajiya Zainab Rabo Ringim also quoted her Principal to have said “We all believe, the biggest tragedy that could happen to a child is to be afflicted with malnutrition at the formative stage of his or her life as the consequences of such an affliction are irreversible.”
The governor stressed that “with a hampered cognitive capacity, the child is prevented from attaining his or her full potential in life. In addition to these collaborations, we also remain committed to sustaining and improving on our homegrown Masaki Nutrition Programme which was meant to leverage locally available recipes with significant and positive impact on child nutrition.”
Speaking further on the strategic partnership, the governor noted that “As I always say, UNICEF is the oldest and most consistent Development Partner collaborating with and supporting the efforts of successive Governments in Jigawa State in the delivery of basic social services especially those that promotes the survival, protection and development of women and children.
“For over three decades, UNICEF has continued to provide support in such areas as Health & Nutrition, Basic Education, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, social policy development and Social Protection interventions among others”, the governor added.
In her remarks, the UNICEF Country Representative, Miss Cristian Munduate, expressed gratitude to the Jigawa State Government for the long-existing partnership and further assured readiness to continue supporting the development of the state.
Cristian Munduate stated that she was in Jigawa to witness Umar Namadi’s giant stride in the health sector and also oversaw the distribution of RUTF procured in partnership with the Namadi Administration.
Abdullahi Yusuf is a seasoned journalist, communicator and was previously the Deputy Editor-In-Chief and Zonal Manager, News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Jos, where he retired on December 15, 2021
