Katsina State Governor Dikko Umaru Radda has renewed his administration’s determination to confront the growing acute malnutrition crisis in the state, describing it as both a humanitarian disaster and a developmental emergency.
The governor stated this during a strategic meeting with Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders – MSF) at Government House,
Katsina state.
The engagement followed the presentation of disturbing data by MSF, which showed that in places like Mashi Local Government Area, malnutrition rates among children have exceeded 30 per cent of levels typically seen in conflict zones.
Visibly concerned by the statistics, Governor Radda called for urgent and coordinated action, noting that the time for promises had passed.
He stressed that children’s lives should never be jeopardized by hunger and preventable disease and declared that Katsina State was prepared to take the lead in reversing the trend.
During the meeting, Governor Radda embraced a comprehensive set of immediate and long-term strategies proposed by MSF.
These include the rapid provision of life-saving nutrition supplies, expanded prevention efforts in vulnerable communities, and support for domestic production of therapeutic food to reduce reliance on external sources.
He emphasised that addressing malnutrition would require more than emergency responses, underscoring the need for sustained investments in public health education, agricultural reform, and evidence-based policymaking.
Looking to build a broad coalition, the governor announced plans to convene a high-level roundtable involving government bodies, development partners, humanitarian organisations, and the private sector to shape a unified and actionable response.
He directed relevant state ministries and agencies to begin working immediately with MSF to develop an implementation roadmap that reflects both urgency and sustainability.
Leading the MSF delegation, Nicolas Mouly, Humanitarian Affairs Advisor on acute malnutrition, commended Governor Radda’s leadership and readiness to confront the crisis head-on.
Mouly, who travelled from the organisation’s headquarters in Paris, expressed MSF’s full commitment to partnering with the state to strengthen emergency response and develop a sustainable nutrition system.
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