Kaduna Strengthens Fight Against Nutrition Aid Diversion with Grassroots Taskforce Inauguration

By Uangbaoje Alex,  Kachia

In a decisive move to tackle the growing challenge of nutrition aid diversion, the Kaduna State Government has inaugurated Local Government Area (LGA) Taskforce Committees across the Jaba, Kachia, and Kagarko cluster, signaling a renewed push for accountability, transparency, and effective service delivery at the grassroots.

The inauguration, held in Kachia, brought together government officials, regulatory agencies, and development partners, all united by a common goal: to ensure that life-saving nutrition commodities reach the vulnerable populations they are intended to serve.

The initiative follows increasing reports of diversion and misuse of critical health and nutrition supplies, despite substantial investments by the state government and its partners.

Presenting an overview of the committee, Jibril Isa, State Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for Nutrition, described aid diversion as the misallocation or misuse of nutritional support meant for vulnerable groups, particularly in emergency and humanitarian contexts. 

He warned that in a state like Kaduna, where food insecurity and malnutrition remain persistent challenges, such practices pose serious risks to public health and community well-being.

He noted that humanitarian interventions in the state include the distribution of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF), Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS), and Small Quantity Lipid-based Nutrient Supplements (SQ-LNS), all designed to combat malnutrition among children and women. However, weak monitoring systems, corruption, and misuse at various levels have continued to undermine these efforts.

Isa emphasized that the consequences of aid diversion are far-reaching. Beyond legal implications such as prosecution and dismissal under civil service regulations, diversion erodes public trust, weakens service delivery, and exposes communities to increased health risks. 

He added that regulatory breaches could also attract sanctions, fines, and restrictions, particularly under the oversight of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

To address these challenges, the newly inaugurated committees are structured to include LGA Chairmen as Chairpersons, Vice Chairmen as Co-Chairmen, Nutrition Focal Persons, Health Secretaries, and representatives of security agencies. 

Their mandate includes monitoring the distribution of nutrition commodities, tracking cases of diversion, and ensuring accountability at all levels.

Director of Development Aid Coordination at the Kaduna State Planning and Budget Commission, Priscilla Dariya, who represented the Chairman of the State Committee on Food and Nutrition, underscored the government’s commitment to tackling malnutrition through sustained funding and strategic partnerships.

She disclosed that Kaduna State released N400 million in 2024 as counterpart funding in collaboration with UNICEF for nutrition commodities, followed by an additional ₦350 million in 2025. 

Despite these significant investments, she expressed concern over reports that some of these commodities were being diverted.

“This committee was established at both the state and local government levels to address the misuse and diversion of these commodities. Our goal is to ensure that they reach the last mile and ultimately reduce malnutrition across the state,” she said.

Dariya stressed that accountability would be strictly enforced, warning that anyone found culpable would face the full weight of the law.

Also speaking, Rahila Maishanu of NAFDAC, a member of the state taskforce, said the inauguration of LGA committees was a critical step in extending oversight to the grassroots, where diversion is most likely to occur.

“We receive a lot of health and nutrition commodities, but unfortunately, many do not reach the vulnerable populations they are meant for. This committee is designed to checkmate diversion, misuse, and misallocation,” she explained.

Maishanu highlighted the multi-stakeholder composition of the committees, noting that the inclusion of security agencies, local government officials, and nutrition focal persons would strengthen monitoring and enforcement.

“Each local government will develop context-specific strategies to track distribution to the last mile. The presence of this committee at the grassroots will serve as our eyes, ensuring accountability. And if anyone is caught, there will be repercussions, including arrest and prosecution under relevant laws,” she added.

At the local level, the Vice-Chairman of Kachia Local Government and Co-Chairman of the Taskforce Committee, Hussein Abdullahi, reaffirmed the commitment of the council and the community to the success of the initiative.

“As a committee, we believe this intervention has come at the right time. The local government is fully committed. Our chairman is committed, and we will ensure that the committee lives up to its terms of reference,” he said.

Abdullahi, however, acknowledged potential challenges that could affect implementation, including coordination gaps, the need for sustained community sensitization, funding constraints, and logistical issues. 

Despite these concerns, he expressed optimism that the committee would overcome them.

“By God’s grace, we will address these challenges. With proper coordination, support, and commitment, we will ensure that this initiative succeeds,” he assured.

To support the work of the committees, standardized reporting tools have been introduced to capture detailed information on suspected cases of diversion. These include the identity of reporting officers, facility and ward details, type and quantity of commodities involved, nature of diversion, and evidence collected.

Key action points outlined during the inauguration include strengthening data collection systems, engaging Ward Development Committees, enhancing community awareness, improving storage systems, and establishing grievance redress mechanisms to encourage reporting of diversion cases.

Stakeholders also recommended regular training for committee members, adoption of technology-driven monitoring systems, increased facility and community-level supervision, and the inclusion of traditional institutions and law enforcement agencies in the accountability framework.

As Kaduna intensifies its fight against malnutrition, the success of this initiative will depend largely on the effectiveness of these grassroots committees. With strong political will, community engagement, and strict enforcement of accountability measures, the state is positioning itself to close the gaps in aid delivery and ensure that no vulnerable person is left behind.