The government of Katsina State has expressed its readiness to form a partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in order to put an end to the widespread issue of hunger across all 34 Local Government Areas within the state. During a courtesy visit, Governor Dikko Radda of Katsina affirmed this collaboration while receiving a team of UNICEF officials.
Governor Dikko stated that his administration would establish a committee to work closely with UNICEF, focusing on addressing the various challenges faced by the state in the domains of nutrition, education, health, water, sanitation, child protection, and social policy.
The governor further remarked “You are coming here to support us to make our lives better. So, if you are coming to support us and make our own lives better, why can’t we support you to do that?”
Mr. Rahama Farah, the UNICEF Kano Field Officer, also disclosed that approximately 1.6 million individuals across the state were grappling with hunger, a revelation derived from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) conducted in 2021.
“Out of the above number, about 63,000 people across the state were suffering from acute food insecurity. Out of the state’s two million under-five children, 1.2 million were stunted, 574,200 moderately wasted, 250,151 severely wasted and 1,376,000 currently suffering from anemia,” he added.
Farah conveyed UNICEF’s willingness to collaborate with the state government to ensure that more than 1.6 million children aged between six and 59 months receive two doses of vitamin A supplements to combat malnutrition.
The UNICEF officer emphasized that this endeavor would also enhance coordination and partnership in delivering various life-saving interventions to 143,000 children afflicted by severe acute malnutrition in the state.
According to Farah, one of the primary objectives of the organization is to prevent malnutrition by expanding initiatives related to maternal, infant, and young child nutrition within the state.
He further added that the purpose of the visit to the new governor was to strengthen the already positive relationship between UNICEF and the state government, particularly in the areas of health and education, among others.