600 women graduate in ‘Tom Brown’ Production to boost child health in Jigawa

In an effort aimed at fighting child malnutrition and furthering economic empowerment, Governor Umar Namadi today presided over the graduation ceremony of 600 women trained in the preparation of locally sourced ready-to-use nutritious formula, popularly known as ‘Tom Brown,’ at the Banquet Hall of the Government House, Dutse.

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The governor described the initiative as a deliberate, homegrown solution to address the twin challenges of child malnutrition and women’s economic empowerment.

“We are profoundly grateful to Allah for giving us the wisdom to come up with this initiative, which will help us kill several birds with one stone,” he said.

“While empowering those trained under the program to improve their means of livelihoods, this is also another formidable strategy in addressing the challenge of malnutrition in children. The initiative will also help in preventing cognitive impairment in children, thus safeguarding their potential to live a life of fulfillment as adults.”

The governor emphasised that Tom Brown—also called Kwashpap—has been proven as a viable supplement for managing moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) using a blend of locally available ingredients such as millet, groundnut, and soybeans.

He disclosed that the initiative aligns with Jigawa’s broader nutritional policies, which have begun to yield progress: the 2024 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) indicates a decline in stunting rates from 64% in 2018 to about 55%.

Each of the 600 beneficiaries has been provided with starter packages, including sealing machines and essential raw materials, to kick-start their ventures in local Tom Brown production, as local governments and primary healthcare centers across the state will collaborate to ensure the adoption and integration of these products into child nutrition programmes.

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“The training of these 600 women is part of our ongoing efforts to accelerate progress towards ensuring the survival, growth, and development of our children. It is not just to sustain the current tempo but to fast-track progress towards improving all our nutrition indices that greatly impact the growth of our children.”

Governor Namadi reiterated his administration’s commitment to reducing reliance on costly imported therapeutic foods by promoting locally made, cost-effective alternatives.

He also announced Jigawa’s participation in the World Bank-supported Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) project, which focuses on improving access to quality nutrition services for women and children under five.

“The overarching objective of this project is to increase utilization of high quality and cost-effective nutrition services for pregnant and lactating women and children under five years of age. This was premised on our belief that the ANRIN Project would also play a significant role in fast-tracking our progress towards achieving nutrition security for our children.”