Save the Children International (SCI) has commended the government of Kaduna State, northwest Nigeria, for sustaining its over N1 billion annual budgetary allocation for nutrition interventions in the state.

SCI Nutrition Advocacy Advisor, Isah Ibrahim, gave the commendation in the state capital, Kaduna.

Governor Nasir El-Rufai had on 10 December signed the 2021 appropriation bill into law, promising to fully implement the budget.

The state budgeted N543.6 million for nutrition-sensitive (prevention) and nutrition-specific (curative) interventions across ministries, departments and agencies.

Over 750,000 children, representing 42 percent under five years, suffer from acute malnutrition in the state, according to the Kaduna State Ministry of Health.

Similarly, the State Nutrition Officer, Ramatu Musa, had said in November 2020 that at least 124 children died of malnutrition in Kaduna State between January and September, with 15,329 cured of the diseases within the same period.

The nutrition officer also revealed that 21,265 malnourished children under five years were admitted.

‘SCI has been advocating for a sustainable annual food and nutrition-related budget for nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive intervention at the state and local government levels’, Ibrahim said.

‘We have worked with relevant MDAs, civil society organisations and other key stakeholders to push for a reasonable allocation during the 2021 budget process.

‘We further engaged the process during the Budget Townhall Meeting organised by the state Planning and Budget Commission, as well as the budget public hearing held by the State Assembly.

‘I want to say that we are happy that the government was able to maintain this reasonable allocation despite the economic crises compounded by Covid-19’.

Source: NAN

Photo source: USAID in Africa