Radda Lauds Save The Children As Health Project Expands To Nutrition

Katsina State governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has renewed his administration’s support for the Core Group Partners Project (CGPP) and Save the Children as the organisation expands its interventions into nutrition and maternal and child health across the state.

Radda spoke during an advocacy and partnership meeting with a delegation from the CGPP Global Office led by the deputy global director, Ahmed Arale.

The delegation included the CGPP Secretariat director, Dr Lami Samaila, and members of the CGPP Katsina State team.

The CGPP Katsina State project manager, Dr Abubakar Ahmad, commended the state government for its longstanding partnership with Save the Children and Core Group Partners Project.

According to him, Save the Children has been working in Katsina State for more than 15 years, supporting government efforts in health, nutrition, education, child protection and humanitarian interventions.

He explained that through the Core Group Partners Project, which has been implemented in the state since 2014, the organisation has contributed to polio eradication, strengthened routine immunisation, promoted global health security and improved cross-border immunisation services targeting underserved and mobile populations. Dr. Ahmad said the project is now expanding into nutrition and maternal and child health to address the growing needs of women and children in the state.

He disclosed that the expanded intervention is currently being implemented in Katsina, Kaita, Mai’adua, Zango, Daura and Funtua local government areas.

According to him, the project will focus on preventing malnutrition through Tom Brown food preparation and demonstration sessions, mass Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) screening, support group meetings for pregnant and lactating women, and community awareness campaigns promoting proper infant and young child feeding practices.

Ahmed Arale described the visit as a demonstration of CGPP’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with the Katsina State Government.

He expressed confidence that closer collaboration with government, communities and development partners would improve immunisation, nutrition, maternal and child health, as well as primary healthcare services for vulnerable populations.

Also speaking, Dr. Lami Samaila stressed the importance of community ownership in achieving sustainable health outcomes.

She noted that the expansion into nutrition and maternal and child health builds on the successes recorded in polio eradication and would further strengthen community structures while improving access to quality healthcare services for women and children.

Responding, Governor Radda commended Save the Children and the Core Group Partners Project for their sustained contributions to healthcare delivery in Katsina State. The governor described the expansion as timely, noting that the state urgently requires more interventions in nutrition and maternal and child health.

“I appreciate Save the Children and the Core Group Partners Project for their continued support to Katsina State over the years. The expansion into nutrition and maternal and child health is timely because our state is in critical need of interventions in these areas.

“My administration is fully committed to supporting this initiative, and we will provide our maximum support to ensure the successful implementation of the project across the benefiting Local Government Areas,” he said.

The advocacy visit reinforced the partnership between the Katsina State Government, Save the Children and the Core Group Partners Project in strengthening primary healthcare, improving nutrition and expanding access to lifesaving health services for women and children across the state.