The Katsina State Government has launched a survey aimed at identifying communities affected by the recent malnutrition crisis across all 34 Local Government Areas of the state.
The state’s Acting Governor, Faruq Lawal Jobe, represented by the Commissioner of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Tanimu Dutsinma, while launching the survey in Katsina on Tuesday, said the objective was to explore the prevalence of malnutrition among the under-five children, and identify household and community levels of food security status in the state.
According to him, “And also to ascertain communities with incidence of malnutrition, assess household vulnerability to food insecurity/malnutrition, and determine the transfer value and minimum expenditure basket of households in the state.”
He explained that, as long-term interventions in the area of food security, the state government has procured 400 brand new tractors as support to farmers, aimed at providing agricultural transformation through mechanised farming and hybrid livestock production.
“These interventions are expected to double agricultural production by more than fourfold, enhance agribusiness and deepen the agricultural value chain in the state.
“The state has also consistently, since the coming of this administration of Governor Dikko Umar Radda, been providing subsidised fertilisers to its farmers to have a bumper harvest.
“This assessment will enable us to gather accurate and reliable data, so that we would be able to identify areas of vulnerability and opportunity where our interventions can have the greatest impact”, he said.
Jobe further noted that it will also inform evidence-based policy decisions that address the root cause of food insecurity, malnutrition, and poverty, and also develop targeted interventions to improve nutrition and livelihoods, particularly for the most vulnerable populations.
“It will also enable us to monitor progress and evaluate impact, ensuring that our efforts are effective and efficient,” according to the acting governor.
“The state is not unaware of food insecurity and prevalence of pockets of malnutrition in some communities, as a survey shows global acute malnutrition with a rate that peaked at 17.5 per cent in the northern part of the state.
“But I have just learned that this rate has dropped to 11.5 per cent. We should be reminded that factors aggravating malnutrition are multifaceted as such.
“It is pertinent to state here that the state has progressively and steadily increased its matching funds from N200 million naira in 2023, to N250 million naira in 2024, and has doubled it to N500 million naira in 2025.”
Earlier, Sheikh Ahmad Filin-Samji, the Chairman of the committee set up by the state government to look into the malnutrition crisis, said that members are committed to discharging responsibilities assigned to them.
According to him, the survey is designed as a comprehensive statewide exercise, and it will cover more than 8,500 households across the 34 local government areas.
He explained that the exercise will be conducted by about 200 trained enumerators supported by supervisors and data monitors through global standards to ensure accuracy, speed and transparency.
The committee chairman enjoined all enumerators to consider this work as an act of worship and seeking reward from Allah, and to dedicate themselves to the advancement of the state’s people.
Additionally, the State’s Statistician General, Prof. Saifullahi Sani, stated that the data collection will enable the state government to prepare and prevent cases of malnutrition.
“I believe the best strategy to address malnutrition is to prevent it, not to allow it to come and be wasting resources to cure it,” he said.
The Statistician General further commended all stakeholders, especially the development partners, for their unwavering support for the progress of the state.
