Stakeholders Express Worry Over Niger State Govt’s Non-Release Of Funds To Check Malnutrition

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MINNA – Participants to a two days Capacity-Building Training for Stakeholders on the Use of the National Nutrition Budget Tracking System (NNBTS), in Niger state have expressed worry over the failure of Niger state government to release all budgetary allocations to promote nutrition especially among children in order to check further stunting or wasting of the children.

While several millions of Naira are being budgeted on annual basis to beef up nutrition across different sectors with the aim of ensuring that the growth of children are not altered by way of underweight, stunting or wasting, such monies meant for the promotion of nutrition are usually seen reflected on papers but never released for the purposes.

They expressed worry that Nigeria Demographic Health Survey (NDHC) data released every five years clearly shows that huge sums of money running into several millions of Naira budgeted for the purpose of promoting nutrition across sectors in Niger state only reflected on papers while only meagre sums are ocassionally released.

To ensure that children have unhindered growth and development of vital body systems, the stakeholders said it is important for Niger state government to release counterpart funds to enable relevant agencies promote balanced diets to check malnutrition that usually aid stunted growth.

During the capacity-building training sponsored by the, Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition In Nigeria (CS-SUNN), participants drawn from relevant ministries, boards and parastatals argued that, foods adequately fortified with the necessary vitamins will bring to the barest minimal visits to hospitals by children or even fall sick at all.

While lamenting the damaging effects of stunting, the participation unanimously agreed that, “When fed with balanced diets, children will grow up looking healthy, rarely fall sick or visit hospitals and as well depend less on drugs or medications”.

As part of strategies to end stunting or wasting children who will for life bear consequences of balanced diets denials for proper body growth, the stakeholders are pleading with the state government to stop wittholding or diverting monies meant for nutrition purposes.

Niger state Coordinator CS-SUNN, Aisha Wakaso, had earlier in a welcome address said the training is to acquint beneficiaries, including journalists with knowledge on how track budget estimates to enable them write reports that will compel the Governor to release funds to control stunting amongst growinh up children.

Stunting of children in Niger state currently put at 43.9% Aisha said would have been on the decline if the counterpart funds to check the menace were released as at and when due.

Expressing fears over the damaging effects of stunting, Aisha reminded the participants during the training which took place at Haske Luxury Hotel, Minna of the need to put into practice what they have learnt in order to stem malnutrition especially amongst under the age of five years.