Kaduna Govt Accuses Officials Of Diverting Nutrition Commodities For Children, Women

Kaduna State Government has accused officials of diverting nutrition commodities meant for children and women, who are the most vulnerable groups.

The government, however, inaugurated a 17-member task force to track and prevent the diversion of nutrition commodities across the state.

The move, Kaduna State government said, was aimed at strengthening accountability and ensuring that life-saving supplies reach vulnerable populations, particularly women and children in dire need.

Speaking at the inauguration on Wednesday, Commissioner of the Planning and Budget Commission (PBC), Mukhtar Ahmed Monrovia, said the initiative was prompted by growing concerns that essential nutrition supplies were not getting to intended beneficiaries.

He noted that despite huge investments by government and development partners in the provision of nutrition commodities, the expected impact has been undermined by gaps in transparency and monitoring.

According to him, the effectiveness of such interventions depends largely on accountability, proper utilisation of resources and efficient tracking systems.

Monrovia said field observations indicated that some of the commodities were not reaching the last mile, a development he described as unacceptable.

He explained that the newly inaugurated task force has a clear mandate to strengthen tracking systems, ensure timely and accurate reporting, and monitor distribution channels across the state.

The commissioner added that the committee members were carefully selected for their competence and integrity, urging them to discharge their duties with diligence.

He stressed that the assignment was critical to improving service delivery, restoring public trust and achieving better nutrition outcomes in the state.

Chairman of the Committee and Permanent Secretary in PBC, Mukhtar Abdullahi, said the task force was set up in response to persistent complaints about diversion of aid and nutrition commodities.

Also speaking, Nutrition Specialist with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Chinwe Ezeife, commended the state government for taking decisive steps to address the challenge, assuring of continued technical support to strengthen accountability and effective implementation.