Nafisa Murtala
The Kano State Ministry of Planning and Budget, in collaboration with UNICEF Kano Field Office, has called for stronger collaboration and collective action to improve nutrition outcomes across the state.
The call was made during a nutrition coordination meeting held in Kano, where the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Alhaji Abdulmumin Ladan Ajumawa, stressed the importance of strengthening policy implementation, transparency and accountability in nutrition programmes.
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He said enhanced collaboration among government ministries, development partners and implementing agencies would help ensure effective and sustainable nutrition interventions, particularly for women and children.
Speaking at the event, the Chief of UNICEF Field Office in Kano, Dr. Karanveer Singh, highlighted the need for sustained commitment and stronger synergy among stakeholders to achieve better nutrition outcomes in the state.
Dr. Singh reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to supporting the state government through technical assistance and strategic partnerships aimed at reducing malnutrition and improving the wellbeing of vulnerable populations.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Kano State Ministry of Health, Pharmacist Aminu Bashir, identified poverty, food insecurity and lack of education as major drivers of malnutrition in Nigeria.
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According to him, cases of malnutrition often decline during harvest periods due to improved food availability, but increase during the rainy season as a result of food shortages and rising food prices, especially in rural communities.
He called for stronger collaboration among the health, agriculture, education and economic sectors to address the root causes of malnutrition in the country.
Other stakeholders who spoke at the meeting included the Director-General of the Kano State Social Protection Agency (KASPA), Hajiya Fatima Abubakar Abdullahi, and the member representing Minjibir Constituency in the Kano State House of Assembly, Abdulhamid Abdul Minjibir.