Vice President Kashim Shettima has declared that “there is no greater test of our humanity than how we respond to hunger in the land,” calling on leaders across all levels of government to make child nutrition a national priority. Speaking at the High-Level Conference on Mobilising Against Malnutrition in Katsina and North-West, the Vice President, represented by the Senior Special Adviser on Public Health, Mrs Uju Vanstatia Rochas-Anwukah, lauded Governor Dikko Umaru Radda’s proactive leadership in tackling the menace of malnutrition, describing Katsina’s nutrition initiatives as “a model and a timely response.”
“Governor Radda has shown leadership on many fronts. The priority being accorded to nutrition today stands as a model and a timely response to the tragedy of malnutrition we must confront together,” Mr Shettima stated. The Vice President decried the alarming rate of child malnutrition in the country, explaining it as “a silent crisis that weakens our children, limits our potential, and haunts our collective conscience.”
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He noted that the cost of inaction is both human and economic, with Nigeria losing an estimated $56 billion in human capital yearly due to malnutrition. “When a nation’s children suffer from stunted growth, its future too becomes stunted. Every dollar invested in nutrition yields a return of twenty-three dollars. Nutrition is not a cost; it is the most strategic investment in our nation’s future,” Mr Shettima emphasised. He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to decentralizing nutrition programmes through the Nutrition 774 Initiative, ensuring no community is left behind.
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The Vice President also called for solidarity from development partners and the private sector, adding that “nutrition is not charity; it is enlightened self-interest.” “This conference must not end with communiqués and photographs. Let it end with commitments and timelines. The child in Dutsin-Ma, the mother in Jibia, the family in Funtua — they cannot afford our delays,” he urged.
Earlier, in his address, Governor Dikko Umaru Radda, reaffirmed his administration’s unwavering resolve to confront malnutrition head-on, declaring that the state is moving from “awareness to action.” “We gather not merely to discuss a problem, but to confront an emergency that threatens the very foundation of our future — our children,” Mr Radda said.
He revealed that the Katsina State Government has undertaken system-wide reforms in the health sector, investing over N14bn in 2024 with 87% budget performance and measurable improvements in service delivery. The Governor highlighted several milestones, including: ₦1 billion contribution to the Child Nutrition Fund in partnership with UNICEF between 2023 and 2025, upgrade of 260 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) and seven General Hospitals and employment of over 1,600 frontline health workers and approval for postgraduate residency training in two state hospitals.
He further stated that the state enrolled 504,000 residents under health insurance schemes, including vulnerable households and security corps. Governor Radda also disclosed plans to scale up Outpatient Therapeutic Feeding Centres (OTPs) across 12 LGAs, establish Tom-Brown and Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) production factories in Katsina, and distribute 90,000 bags of grains to vulnerable households.
“To ensure sustainable solutions, we are setting up local production of Tom-Brown and RUTF to stimulate our economy and create jobs for our youth,” he added. The governor also announced that the state is considering the approval of six-month maternity leave and the full implementation of the Child Protection Law, alongside the enactment of a Family Law to curb social factors contributing to malnutrition.
“Our resolve is clear, but we cannot do it alone. We call for sustained partnership from donors, traditional rulers, civil society, and development partners. Let us leave this conference not with promises, but with actionable commitments,” Mr Radda concluded. The event held in Abuja, was jointly convened by Katsina State Government, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), and partners to chart a multi-sectoral path toward eradicating malnutrition in Nigeria’s North-West region.
Delivering his remarks, MSF Country Representative, Dr Ahmed Aldikhari, disclosed that Nigeria has become the country where the organisation treats the largest number of malnourished children in the world. “In 2024 alone, we admitted nearly 300,000 children with Severe Acute Malnutrition in our outpatient units across northern Nigeria. This accounts for more than half of all MSF admissions worldwide,” Dr Aldikhari said.
He attributed the crisis to Nigeria’s demographic weight as Africa’s largest nation and the sixth most populous country globally, coupled with the hunger gap affecting northern Sahelian regions. The MSF chief commended Vice President Shettima for declaring malnutrition a national emergency in March 2025, stressing that the scale of the crisis demands collective action. “While the Federal and State Governments have a leading role to play, they cannot face this crisis alone. They need the continued support of all partners,” he stated.
Dr Aldikhari revealed that the conference initiative emerged from discussions with Governor Radda on the urgent need to scale up treatment and prevention programmes. He described the gathering as a strategic platform to align understanding, strengthen collaboration, and transform commitments into tangible, life-saving action. The conference focused on building sustainable solutions to combat malnutrition through coordinated efforts among government, diplomatic community, and humanitarian organisations.
In attendance at the event were several distinguished personalities, led by Annette Günther, the German Ambassador to Nigeria, and Idris Mohammed Gobir, Deputy Governor of Sokoto State. Also present was Mr Gauthier Mignot, the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria, alongside Mr Mohammed Fall, the United Nations Resident Coordinator. Representatives from the Swiss and French Embassies also graced the occasion, underscoring the strong international support for the initiative.
From within Nigeria, the event had in attendance; Malik Anas, Commissioner for Budget and Planning; and Dr. Musa Adamu, Commissioner for Health; Professor Saifullahi Sani, the Katsina Statistician General. Also present were Muktar Muhammad Lugga, Chief of Staff to the Governor of Zamfara State; Mr Abdullahi Aliyu Turaji, Principal Private Secretary; and Abba Jaye, Special Adviser on Chieftaincy Affairs.
Other notable attendees included Dr Shamsudeen Yahaya, Executive Secretary of the State Primary Health Care Development Agency, and Hajiya Maryam Uwais, Former Special Adviser to the President on Social Investment.
