Governor Umar Namadi has inaugurated the Jigawa State Council on Nutrition 774, pledging his administration’s continued dedication to addressing malnutrition and promoting food security across the state.
The inauguration followed a courtesy visit to the governor by Mrs Uju Rochas-Anwuka, the senior special assistant to the president on public health (office of the vice president), who was in Jigawa State for the official launch of the Nutrition 774 Initiative.
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In her remarks, Mrs Rochas-Anwuka said she was in Jigawa on the directive of the Vice President “to discuss with Your Excellency and members of your cabinet a matter that touches deeply on the lives and on the nerves of our nation.”
She explained that the Nutrition 774 Initiative, which forms part of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was conceived by the vice president as a flagship initiative of the National Council on Nutrition in response to the devastating impact of malnutrition and its associated consequences on the Nigerian population.
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“The Nutrition 774 of the Renewed Hope Agenda was initiated by His Excellency, the Vice President, as a flagship initiative in response to the devastating situation that malnutrition and its associated consequences have brought upon our society,” she said, adding that development partners are deeply involved in the programme and have demonstrated strong commitment to eradicating malnutrition.
Mrs. Rochas-Anwuka further stated that malnutrition is not merely a health issue but a national economic concern.
“When a child is malnourished, when a family is malnourished, the entire system focuses on what to eat next rather than the development of our dear nation. The entire system becomes preoccupied with survival needs rather than progress. This is why malnutrition is not just a problem of individuals; it is a national problem that directly affects our manpower and ultimately our nation’s economic growth.”
In his response, Governor Namadi expressed appreciation to the Office of the Vice President for the initiative and reaffirmed Jigawa’s leading role in nutrition advocacy and implementation.
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“Your coming to Jigawa State will help strengthen our efforts on nutrition. Jigawa has been at the forefront of tackling malnutrition in this country, but we are yet to achieve what we want to achieve,” he said.
The governor stressed that effective nutrition interventions require community engagement and grassroots participation.
The Masaki Programme, which was established in 2020, solely helps in the serious and rigorous campaign of nutrition at the grassroots level. You see, this issue of nutrition cannot be treated in the office—that is our understanding as a government.
You must move down to the grassroots, talk to the mothers, let them understand what they need to do, and also support them. If you sit in the office and continue to speak grammar, you will not move anywhere. And that is the essence of establishing the Masaki in the first instance.
“I’m happy to say that the Masaki has achieved a lot. Right from inception to date, almost 1.3 million people have participated in various activities as a result of Masaki. And Masaki is also being supported. Every month, Masaki is receiving about ₦13.5 million as support to ensure its success. We will review this scheme and see the need to improve it, because it is important that we invest heavily.”
Governor Namadi further highlighted ongoing initiatives such as the Tom Brown Supplement Programme, under which 600 women across the state have been trained and supported to produce and package nutritional supplements for local distribution in partnership with NAFDAC and local governments.
He stated that ₦250 million is set aside annually for the procurement of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) in collaboration with UNICEF, while members of the Jigawa State House of Assembly contribute ₦300 million yearly to support community-level nutrition interventions.
The governor announced that the newly inaugurated Jigawa State Council on Nutrition 774 will coordinate and strengthen all nutrition-related efforts across ministries and sectors.
He will serve as Chairman of the Council, while members include the Commissioners of Budget and Economic Planning, Finance, Agriculture, and Basic Education, as well as the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, who will serve as Secretary.
Governor Namadi assured that Jigawa will be the first state to achieve the goals of the Nutrition 774 project.
“Our budget for health has been increased beyond the Abuja Declaration to show that health is an important component of our 12-month agenda.
In the ongoing budget process, the Ministry of Education has already included nutrition provisions, and we expect Health, Women Affairs, and Agriculture to do the same. Sectoral allocations for nutrition will be included in every relevant MDA.”
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