Bauchi To Combat Infant Malnutrition With N500m

Governor Bala Mohammed has approved N500 million as counterpart funding for the procurement of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) in the state’s 2026 budget to tackle child malnutrition.

The governor disclosed this while receiving officials of Nutrition International, led by its country director, Osita Okonkwo, during a courtesy visit at the Government House, Bauchi.

Governor Mohammed said the allocation represents an increase of N200 million compared to the amount previously approved and released for the same purpose, noting that the increment reflects the government’s growing commitment to addressing malnutrition among children in the state.

Governor Mohammed also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to improving nutrition, maternal health and child survival across Bauchi State.

The governor expressed appreciation to the Government of Canada and other development partners for their sustained support to Bauchi State, particularly in the areas of health, agriculture, education and youth development.

He described nutrition as a critical foundation for human capital development, noting that a well-nourished child is more likely to perform well academically and contribute meaningfully to society.

The governor revealed that his administration has continued to make significant investments in the health sector, exceeding the 15 percent benchmark recommended under the Abuja Declaration, while ensuring that more than 80 percent of health sector allocations are released and implemented.

According to him, the state government has constructed over 1,000 healthcare facilities, including the upgrade of 323 primary healthcare centres to improve access to quality healthcare services, particularly for rural communities.

Governor Bala Mohammed further disclosed that the state has released N872 million as counterpart funding to support primary healthcare programmes, as well as N300 million to UNICEF as a child nutrition matching grant.

He explained that the intervention supported the procurement of 15,419 cartons of small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements and 4,000 cartons of ready-to-use therapeutic food for the treatment of severe acute malnutrition.

The governor added that the state government plans to release an additional N500 million this year to further strengthen nutrition programmes and eliminate malnutrition among vulnerable groups.

He assured the delegation that Bauchi State will continue to institutionalise nutrition interventions through policies and legislation to ensure sustainability beyond the present administration.

Earlier, the country director of Nutrition International, Dr Osita Okwonkwo, commended Governor Mohammed for the visible development recorded across the state, particularly in road infrastructure and investments in the health sector.

Dr Okwonkwo explained that Nutrition International is a global organisation that has been working for over three decades to improve nutrition and health outcomes for women, adolescents and children.

He disclosed that Bauchi State served as a pilot state for the Multiple Micronutrient Supplement (MMS) implementation research conducted in Alkaleri, Ganjuwa and Ningi local government areas, aimed at improving maternal nutrition through antenatal care services.

According to him, the research yielded encouraging results, including improved uptake of micronutrient supplements among pregnant women and better pregnancy outcomes.

He noted that the tools and programme materials developed during the research have now been adopted by the Federal Ministry of Health for nationwide implementation.