From Sola Ojo, Abuja
Jigawa State has announced a landmark commitment to dedicate at least one percent of its annual budget to nutrition from 2026, a move that could set a precedent for other Nigerian states in the fight against malnutrition.
The declaration was made on the second day of a high-level meeting on “Improving Nutrition through Local Government Committees on Food and Nutrition,” organised by the Jigawa State Government in partnership with UNICEF, held in Kaduna on Thursday, September 4.
Key government leaders and UNICEF officials emphasised that investing in nutrition was not only about saving lives but also about securing the state’s economic future.
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Chairman of the House Committee on Nutrition, Jigawa State House of Assembly, Hon. Mas’ud Abdurrahman Naruwa, described the commitment as “a promise to the next generation.”
“Nutrition is not just a health issue, it is an economic driver. Healthy children grow into productive citizens who can drive our state forward.
“That is why each member of the House of Assembly has already contributed ₦10 million to support nutrition in their constituencies, totalling ₦300 million in 2025, which is only the beginning, by the grace of God.
“At a UNICEF seminar in Lagos, we pledged to work toward allocating 1% of the state budget to nutrition. Today, Jigawa is on the verge of achieving that target, with ₦4.7 billion already spread across various ministries and agencies for nutrition in 2025.
“By 2026, we are determined to make 1% a standing allocation,” he said.
Chairman of ALGON and head of the state’s Local Government system, Hon. Sibu Abdullahi, stressed that local governments are ready to complement state-level actions through community-driven programmes.
“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. That is why we are investing in our children now,” he said.
He praised Governor Umar A. Namadi for placing health as the state’s second priority and pushing nutrition to the forefront.
“Initially, each local government contributed ₦250,000 monthly to support the Masaki programme, a nutrition intervention programme that currently engages about 600 women across the 27 local government areas of the State.
“Today, that contribution has doubled to ₦500,000 monthly, all going directly into nutrition. And in sha’Allah, from 2026 onward, every local government will dedicate 1% of its budget to nutrition. This is a revolution that will reach every ward, every family, and every child in Jigawa State,” Abdullahi declared.
Nutrition Manager for UNICEF at the Kano Field Office, Dr Karanveer Singh, warned of the urgent need for collective action, given the alarming rates of child malnutrition in northern Nigeria.
“In Jigawa, Katsina, and Kano, almost half of all children are chronically malnourished, and stunting is not just about a child’s height, it also stunts brain development. It creates a stunted body and a stunted mind, and this condition is irreversible,” he said.
Dr Singh restated the economic cost of ignoring malnutrition: “Every stunted child is a lost opportunity for the state and for the nation.
“The reverse is also true, every child we nourish properly is an investment in Nigeria’s growth. That is why prevention, particularly in the earliest years of life, is so critical. UNICEF is proud to stand with Jigawa in this bold step,” he added.
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