Chima Azubuike, Gombe
Gombe State Commissioner for Science, Technology and Innovation Dr. Aishatu Maigari on Thursday, promised to give malnutrition a more reinvigorated fight in the state, adding that the era where the ministry was known for just sensitization is over.
Maigari stated this resolve, when she received Civil Society Media Advocacy Group, working in the state with support from the four consortium; Aisha Buhari Foundation, International Society of Media in Public Health, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy centre, and Network for Health Equity and Development.
She stressed that the ministry awaits a ‘trigger letter’ from any angle to set it off towards achieving it mapped out aims of rescuing thousands of malnourished children in the state.
She said part of the mandate of her ministry is production of Ready to Use Therapeutic Food, as well as procurement and the establishment of a Nutrition Laboratory.
According to Maigari, “Before we took over the only thing they have been doing has been sensitization. Efforts are ongoing towards establishing a Nutrition L
aboratory which will take a long time and it is capital intensive.
“It is something you can’t get your return on investment immediately because it has to do with more academics than business that was why we thought of reaching out to Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN), they were here 2-3 times before we identified the gaps where the ministry can come in and that has been done about 2 months ago.
“We promised to procure raw materials for them but we were asked to hold on. What we are waiting for, is for ANRIN to write us, but if we can get the trigger, any letter even if it is from you, we can build on that.
“We are going to look at ministry of Agriculture to see how we can collaborate because it will give us less work because our lab research will just be targeted where there is less Botulinum toxins.”
On his part, the Permanent Secretary ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Gideon Maidawa said the focus of the ministry is hinged on research and development adding that the ministry can’t scale but will complement what is supplied to forestall stock out.
He said, “We shall be conducting research on suitable soil for the cultivation of groundnut that will be used in the complementary feeding because it requires groundnut, soya beans and millet. The most important component is the groundnut which has Botulinum toxin and if the quantity is high it becomes harmful to the children. One of our function is to carry out research to find out the most suitable soil in Gombe state, where we can produce that which is most acceptable, after production we are expected to carry out test to ensure they are not harmful to the children. Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) has made us to understand it has procured 11 sets of mixers, sealers across the LGA’s. Our function to procure and supply across the 11 centres that will ground, mixed and sealed to be given to the malnourished children.”
Speaking Earlier, chairman of the advocacy group, Alhassan Yahaya said the team’s visit to the ministry is the fifth but the first on assumption of Dr. Maigari as honourable commissioner, adding that the ministry is on a positive track.
He said the group is worried about it findings at the Kwami Community-based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) centre describing it as ‘Pathetic’.
He said, “In that new CMAM centre in Kwami, we have over three hundred and fifty (350) children coming out weekly to collect RUTF.”
While appraising the challenges in procurement, Yahya urged government to consider complementary feeding as possible way.
“From November last year to July, Gombe state government in collaboration with the ministry of health supported the state with 12,000 cartons of RUTF.
“As I speak, from November to July we consumed the 12,000 cartons of RUTF and over 300 million naira worth of RUTF. This shows clearly that there is no government in Nigeria that will continue in the funding of RUTF. The solution to this Infant Young Child Feeding and we are aware that under this very ministry there is budgetary allocation saddled with make our local food serve as complementary feeding.”
