Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State launched the reactivation of malnutrition treatment centers across all 44 local government areas on August 7, 2025, targeting 17,000 severely malnourished children after an eight-year shutdown under the previous administration. Speaking at the program’s launch in Takai Local Government Area, Yusuf expressed dismay at the neglect that left 51.9% of Kano’s children stunted due to severe food poverty. The state has committed N500 million in counterpart funding with UNICEF to procure 12,948 cartons of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), alongside Vitamin A supplements and maternal health provisions to address the crisis, according to a statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa.
The initiative, part of the Comprehensive Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) program, aims to reverse the alarming malnutrition rates through coordinated efforts with UNICEF, which praised Kano’s N500 million contribution as the highest single-state donation to the Child Nutrition Fund in Nigeria. Dr. Serekeberehan Seyoum Deres, UNICEF’s Health Manager in Kano, highlighted the partnership’s focus on improving nutrition outcomes and urged further resource allocation for 2025 to sustain the program. The reactivation includes upgrading treatment and referral centers, with N170 million allocated for infrastructure improvements to support maternal and child health services. Yusuf emphasized a broader strategy to reduce maternal and child mortality, incorporating the Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH) Week, which provides immunizations, antenatal care, and nutritional supplements. Community leaders and health professionals, including Dr. Amina Bello of Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital, hailed the move as a critical step, though some online sentiments expressed skepticism about the state’s spending priorities, citing competing projects like infrastructure and scholarships. The governor’s commitment was reiterated on his official X account, where he stressed, “No child in Kano should suffer malnutrition or lack basic healthcare.”
Follow us on all social media platforms @dailyquery for news and analyses around the globe.
