By; ALEX UANGBAOJE, Kaduna Jigawa State’s bold pledge to dedicate at least one per cent of its annual budget to nutrition from 2026 has sparke
By; ALEX UANGBAOJE, Kaduna
Jigawa State’s bold pledge to dedicate at least one per cent of its annual budget to nutrition from 2026 has sparked renewed debate on the urgent need to confront malnutrition, which experts warn is crippling the future of children in Northern Nigeria.
At a high-level meeting on “Improving Nutrition through Local Government Committees on Food and Nutrition,” held in Kaduna, leaders and UNICEF officials painted a grim picture of the cost of inaction.
They stressed that nutrition is not only a matter of survival but also the foundation of economic growth.
Chairman of the Jigawa State House Committee on Nutrition, Hon. Mas’ud Abdurrahman Naruwa, lamented that poor nutrition continues to rob children of their potential.
He argued that the crisis is more than a health concern but that it is stifling productivity and the state’s future.
“Nutrition is not just a health issue, it is an economic driver,” he said, adding that stunted children grow into adults unable to fully contribute to society.
Naruwa revealed that lawmakers had already contributed N300 million to nutrition programmes in their constituencies, but warned that much more must be done.
At the local government level, Chairman of ALGON, Hon. Sibu Abdullahi, reflected on the generational cost of neglecting nutrition.
“Some of our leaders today may not have received proper nutrition in their childhood, and we see the effects in performance. We cannot afford to repeat this mistake,” he warned.
Abdullahi stressed that local councils are ready to invest directly in children through grassroots programmes.
He pointed out that monthly contributions to the Masaki nutrition programme had already doubled, and announced plans for each local government to dedicate one percent of its budget to nutrition from 2026.
UNICEF officials also raised the alarm over staggering levels of child malnutrition in northern Nigeria. Dr. Karanveer Singh, the organisation’s Nutrition Manager in Kano, revealed that in Jigawa, Kano, and Katsina, nearly half of all children are chronically malnourished.
“Stunting is not just about a child’s height, it stunts brain development, creating a stunted body and a stunted mind and the condition is irreversible,” Singh cautioned.
He warned that every malnourished child is “a lost opportunity for the state and for the nation,” while every well-nourished child is “an investment in Nigeria’s growth.”
Speakers agreed that while Jigawa’s proposed budgetary allocation is a landmark move, the real challenge lies in consistent implementation and ensuring that resources reach children at the community level.
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