From Mustapha Adamu, Kano
Kano State Government yesterday said it will work closely with Nutrition and Food Safety Department, under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to domesticate the Nutrition Strategic Document.
A statement by Hassan Musa Fagge, Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor, Kano State said the decision was aimed at tackling the issue of malnutrition in the state.
Recall that, the Federal Government had recently developed and launched Agric-sector Food Security and Nutrition Strategic Document to address the menace of malnutrition in Nigeria.
The statement, however said, “receiving a team of advocacy visit on the Strategic Document from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Kano State Governor Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje said there is no better time to domesticate this document than now as the State embarks on its free feeding as well as free and compulsory basic and secondary education programmes,”
Ganduje, represented by his deputy,Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, was quoted as saying, “ This is the best time when the Government of President Muhammadu Buhari embarks on School Feeding from Primary 1-3 Pupils and Kano State Government enhances the programme to Primary 4-6 and commenced its policy on free and compulsory basic and secondary education.”
The statement said the governor noted that the aspect of Nutrition starts from childhood, stressing that this is where Kano State keys in as the Strategic Document would capture most of the Children under its free feeding programme.
Dr. Oyeleke, according to the statement, disclosed that Kano State falls 5th among the 36 states of the federation including Abuja in the incident chart of malnutrition, which according to him, underscores the need to take urgent action and embark on programmes that would lead to reduction of the incident of malnutrition in the state.
“We are going to look at all their activities as we did in Lagos State just two weeks ago. We look at all their activities budgeted across various departments and grouped them according to the Strategic areas and programmes “ Adeyinka explained.
During the visit, the team was accompanied by the National Vice President North Nutrition Society of Nigeria Dr. Salisu Maiwada Abubakar.
