The Sokoto State Government has earmarked N500m to tackle the growing cases of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) among children across the state.
Governor Ahmed Aliyu made the disclosure during a high-level advocacy visit to Sokoto by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Professor Nantewa Yilwatda.
The visit was confirmed in a statement issued by the Director General, Media and Publicity to the Governor, Malam Abubakar Bawa.
Governor Aliyu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening the healthcare system, with a particular focus on improving child nutrition and reducing malnutrition-related deaths.
He commended UNICEF for its continued support in providing humanitarian and developmental assistance to Sokoto State, as well as its role in improving outcomes in both the health and education sectors.
In her remarks, Prof. Yilwatda praised the Sokoto State Government and development partners for their proactive response to the malnutrition crisis.
She called for increased investment in nutrition programmes at both the federal and state levels, while advocating for homegrown solutions that leverage Sokoto’s agricultural potential, especially in large-scale grain production.
“The worsening nutrition crisis demands urgent, coordinated, and sustained intervention from all tiers of government and development partners,” she stated.
Also speaking, the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Samuela Gautier Mignot, lauded the state government for its hospitality and reiterated the EU’s commitment to supporting vulnerable and malnourished children in Sokoto and across Nigeria.
UNICEF Country Representative, Ms. Cristian Munduate, described the nutrition crisis as alarming, citing recent data from the SMART survey, which indicates a sharp rise in SAM cases.
She disclosed that UNICEF had contributed N1.5 billion as counterpart funding to support the state’s response efforts and urged the government to adopt sustainable and community-based solutions to ensure long-term impact.
The advocacy delegation, accompanied by the Deputy Governor, paid a visit to a local health facility in the Sokoto metropolis, where they inspected the ongoing treatment of malnourished children being administered by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in collaboration with UNICEF.
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