Kaduna LG Chairmen Move to End Nutrition Funding Delays as 4 in 10 Children Suffer Stunting
By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna
Alarmed by the growing malnutrition crisis in Kaduna State, Local Government Council Chairmen have pledged to protect nutrition budgets, unblock delayed fund releases, and strengthen grassroots interventions to tackle the scourge affecting thousands of children.
The commitment was made during a High-Level Dialogue on Local Government Nutrition Financing held in Kaduna, where government officials, traditional rulers, development partners, health experts and civil society groups warned that malnutrition continues to undermine child survival, learning outcomes and economic productivity across the state.
Stakeholders were confronted with troubling statistics from the 2023/2024 National Demographic and Health Survey showing that 40.7 per cent of children under five in Kaduna are stunted, while 24.7 per cent are underweight and 5.9 per cent suffer wasting.
Participants identified poor and irregular release of nutrition funds at the local government level as one of the biggest obstacles to tackling the crisis despite the existence of approved budget allocations.
They stressed that local governments remain the frontline institutions responsible for delivering life-saving nutrition services through primary healthcare facilities, community outreach programmes and the Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition programme.
The meeting noted that the gap between approved nutrition budgets and actual spending continues to deny vulnerable women and children access to critical services, with far-reaching consequences for human capital development.
To reverse the trend, the chairmen resolved to safeguard dedicated nutrition budget lines in all 23 local government councils, ensure prompt release of approved funds and strengthen accountability mechanisms for tracking nutrition expenditures.
The stakeholders also agreed to revitalise Local Government Committees on Food and Nutrition, institutionalise routine presentation of nutrition data to council chairmen, strengthen nutrition corners in health facilities and expand community sensitisation through volunteers conducting household visits.
In a move aimed at boosting political ownership of nutrition programmes, participants resolved that Local Government Chairmen should head Local Government Committees on Food and Nutrition, while their spouses would continue to lead Nutrition Steering Committees at the grassroots.
The dialogue further highlighted the economic case for increased nutrition investments, noting that evidence shows every dollar invested in nutrition can generate up to sixteen dollars in economic returns through improved productivity and reduced healthcare costs.
At the end of the meeting, the council chairmen pledged to move beyond declarations and translate commitments into concrete action, vowing to ensure that no child suffers the consequences of preventable malnutrition because of funding failures.
The communiqué was endorsed by the Chairperson of the State Committee on Food and Nutrition and Permanent Secretary, Planning and Budget Commission, Muktar Abdullahi; ALGON Vice Chairman, Dauda Madaki; District Head of Makera, Shehu Tijjani Usman; and CS-SUNN Programme Officer, Oludare Isaac.
