Kogi State has recorded 22.7 percent of the 14.5 million children suffering from malnutrition in Nigeria.
The stunning percentage was revealed by a recent Nutrition and Health Survey, which revealed further that the malnourished Nigerian children will either die or develop to their own potential, considering the very high rate of malnutrition that presently spread across the country with two out of every 5 children (44%) under five years suffering chronic malnutrition.
Zakari Usman, Commissioner for Health, Kogi State, highlighted on the result of the survey on Thursday in Lokoja while interacting with the media on the activities of the Accelerating Nutrition Result in Nigeria (ANRIN) project when they flagged off continued distribution of nutrition commodities worth N14 million to flood victims across riverine communities in the state.
While distributing the commodities to the beneficiaries at the Ministry’s headquarters in Lokoja, the commissioner, who was represented by Razaq Yinka, permanent secretary of the ministry, said that the gesture is part of the ANRIN project activities to alleviate the pains and sufferings encountered by flood victims as well as mitigation against future occurrence.
“These interventions were driven by the non-state actors and the State Primary Health Care Development Agency, who are being supervised by the Project Implementation Unit. The main objective of these interventions is to reduce or eradicate the scourge of malnutrition in the state.
“Kogi was one of the states in Nigeria mostly affected by flood recently, which necessitated the government and partners to come to the aid of the victims through relocation and provision of relief materials.
“In a bid to achieve its aim and objective, the ANRiN project through the support of the World Bank and one of Save the Children, has distributed some nutritional commodities and relief materials to the victims of the flood in their camps and communities. Save the Children International supported the victims with relief materials worth $100,000, 00 while the ANRiN project provided nutritional commodities worth N14 million,” he said.
The commodities distributed include; grains like cornflakes, granola, cocopops, Weetabix protein, milk, micronutrient powder for children, water guards and long lasting insecticidal nets.
According to the commissioner, the commodities will be taken to the communities badly affected by flood and shall be distributed through the community leaders to those parents and children still suffering from the pains of flood.
He equally disclosed that ANRIN activities became effective in May 2019 and Kogi State is one of the 12 states that are operating the project in Nigeria.
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Usman appreciated Governor Yahaya Bello’s giant strides in the health sector, which according to him, has put the state in a very good stead amongst the committee of states in the federation.
“Nigeria has very high rates of malnutrition that are presently spread across the country of which two out of every five children (44 percent) under five years, suffer from chronic malnutrition. This translates into about 14.5million Nigerian children who will either die or develop to their full potential.
“The Nutrition and Health Survey reveals that Kogi State has 22.7 percent in stunting cases,” he said.
