From Mika’il Tsoho, Dutse
The Jigawa State House of Assembly has pledged to collaborate with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for the procurement of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) worth N600 million in 2026.
The pledges was made by the Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Health, Hon. Muhammad Kabiru Ibrahim, when he received at his office the delegation team of Civil Society Scaling-Up of Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) led by Amb. Ibrahim Tudu.
He explained, that the House had in 2025 approved a contribution of N300 million for the procurement of RUTF through the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, noting that the effort had already yielded results in reducing the prevalence of stunting among children.
“Despite challenges with the release of funds, we recorded significant improvement. The percentage of stunted children in the state has reduced from 64 per cent to 55 per cent. Going forward, and in line with your advice, we are considering remitting our contributions directly to UNICEF for two key benefits: UNICEF counterpart funding and the timely procurement and supply of the commodity,” Ibrahim stated.
He commended Governor Umar Namadi, Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Haruna Aliyu Dangyatin, his colleagues in the legislature, as well as partners and donor agencies for their collective commitment to uplifting the health and nutrition status of Jigawa’s children.
Earlier, CS-SUNN National Team Lead, Amb. Ibrahim Tudu, lauded the legislature’s role in combating malnutrition, stressing that Jigawa’s nutrition indices had improved due to the Assembly’s interventions.
“Nutrition in the state has improved by about 10 per cent as a result of combined efforts by government and partners. The prevalence of malnutrition has dropped from 64 per cent to 55.7 per cent in 2023. This is a clear indication of your commitment, especially the N300 million you collectively earmarked for RUTF procurement in 2025,” he said.
Also speaking, the CS-SUNN State Chairman, Comrade Shuaibu Musa Kafingana, expressed concern that despite the Assembly’s N300 million commitment to the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, the funds had not been released as of the third quarter of the year.
He advised that subsequent contributions should be remitted directly to UNICEF to leverage counterpart funding and ensure prompt delivery of RUTF to the state
