Prioritise Child Nutrition In Your Budgets, UNICEF Urges Bauchi LGs

The UNICEF Chief of Field office in Bauchi, Dr Nuzhat Rafique, has called on the state and local governments to prioritise child nutrition in their planning, budgeting and resource allocation to address the rising prevalence of malnutrition in the North-East.

Rafique made the call yesterday during a two-day advocacy meeting organised by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for local government chairmen and nutrition officers aimed at familiarising the newly elected local government chairpersons with the scale of nutritional challenges affecting children in their respective councils and the wider subregion.

She explained that changes in local government leadership had brought several new chairpersons into office, making it necessary to sensitise them to the severity of child malnutrition and the need to incorporate nutrition interventions into their development plans.

According to her, adequate planning, budgeting and resource allocation are essential to tackling malnutrition, particularly in the North-East, where many children face significant nutritional challenges.

“Child malnutrition should be one of the top priorities on their agenda, particularly given the high prevalence of malnutrition among children in the North-East,” she said.

The UNICEF chief commended the Bauchi State government and councils for contributing to the Child Nutrition Fund in 2025, describing the initiative as an important mechanism for expanding access to essential nutrition supplies.

She explained that the fund operates through a co-financing arrangement under which UNICEF matches government contributions to support the procurement of nutrition commodities for children.

Rafique expressed optimism that both the state and local governments would make further contributions in 2026, noting that the arrangement would support the procurement of essential nutrition supplies for Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa and other states across the North-East.

“We are looking forward to receiving contributions from both the state and local government levels in 2026. UNICEF will match the contributions through the Child Nutrition Fund to procure nutrition supplies for Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa and other states across the North-East,” she stated.

On the extent of child deprivation in Bauchi, Rafique said data presented to local government authorities showed that the state was in the red category, indicating that approximately 70 per cent or more of its children were affected by multiple deprivations.

She expressed concern over the deteriorating malnutrition situation, noting that the trend had worsened since 2020-2021, while acknowledging that limited financial resources remained a major constraint to addressing the problem.

However, she maintained that proven interventions and effective strategies were available to prevent malnutrition and improve the nutritional status of affected children.

She urged government authorities at all levels to strengthen their commitment to child nutrition through adequate funding and effective implementation of evidence-based interventions.

Rafique added that sustained investment in nutrition was critical to protecting children’s health, improving their development and securing a healthier future for communities across the region.

Also speaking, the chairman of Gamawa local government area and representative of the Bauchi State chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Ali Babayo, said that the 20 Local Government Councils in Bauchi State are considering doubling their contributions to the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF) in 2026 to strengthen efforts to combat malnutrition among children.

Babayo said the councils were considering increasing their contributions following their participation in the initiative in 2025, adding that the move would promote local ownership and ensure the sustainability of nutrition interventions.

“We are going to look into the possibility of doubling what we contributed last year so that we can take ownership of the project and ensure its sustainability and continuity,” he said.

Babayo identified poverty, shortages of healthcare personnel and inadequate access to potable water as some of the factors contributing to malnutrition in communities across the state.

He said the meeting had provided an opportunity for local government chairpersons to examine the underlying causes of malnutrition and discuss practical measures to address the challenge in collaboration with UNICEF and other development partners.

Babayo said the councils would also strengthen community-level nutrition education by supporting nutrition officers to educate parents on appropriate feeding practices and the preparation of nutritious meals using locally available foods.

He expressed concern that supplies of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) provided by UNICEF were insufficient to meet the needs of all children requiring nutritional support, given the scale of the challenge.

“We are going to explore locally produced nutritious foods that can complement the supplies we receive from UNICEF and help address the nutritional needs of children in our communities,” he said.

He, however, stressed the importance of ensuring that locally prepared complementary foods met children’s nutritional requirements, while children suffering from severe acute malnutrition continued to receive recommended therapeutic care.

In her remarks, UNICEF Nutrition Specialist Philomena Irene described the nutritional indices across the Bauchi Field Office as disturbing, stressing the need for urgent and coordinated action to reverse the trend.

She expressed optimism that the meeting would encourage local government councils to complement the state government’s efforts by contributing to the Child Nutrition Fund to support the procurement of ready-to-use therapeutic food and small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements (SQLNS).

The two-day advocacy meeting, held in Jos, Plateau State, was attended by the chairpersons of the 20 local government councils in Bauchi State and their respective nutrition officers.