Gombe State has approved N500 million as a matching contribution toward the procurement of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), a critical intervention for treating severe acute malnutrition among children.
The funding, announced Tuesday by the governor’s spokesperson, reflects a growing concern over child nutrition levels as parts of northern Nigeria face worsening food insecurity.
In a statement issued in Gombe, Ismaila Uba-Misilli, Director-General of Press Affairs, said the allocation is part of a joint arrangement with UNICEF through the Child Nutrition Fund, a financing mechanism designed to expand access to life-saving nutrition commodities in low-resource settings.
The contribution, he said, will allow Gombe to scale up treatment for children suffering from severe acute malnutrition across the state’s 11 local government areas.
Severe acute malnutrition, a condition marked by extreme wasting and high mortality risks, remains a persistent challenge in many communities in the Northeast.
Aid groups warn that economic pressures, population displacement, and fluctuating food prices have placed additional strain on vulnerable households, making state-level interventions increasingly urgent.
Uba-Misilli noted that Gombe is among a small group of Nigerian states that have consistently met their counterpart funding obligations for nutrition programmes, a benchmark many states fail to achieve. The latest contribution, he added, underscores the administration’s commitment to sustaining investments that directly impact children under five, an age group disproportionately affected by preventable malnutrition-related deaths.
According to the state government, predictable funding has improved child survival outcomes in recent years by expanding access to essential nutrition services at primary health centers and community-based treatment sites. Officials say the new allocation is intended not only to maintain progress but to prevent treatment disruptions that could put thousands of children at risk.
The government’s strategy, as outlined by Uba-Misilli, links nutrition investments to broader goals of reducing child mortality and boosting early childhood development. He said the Yahaya administration views malnutrition as both a health and development concern, one that demands steady financing rather than short-term emergency responses.
Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food, typically a nutrient-dense peanut-based paste, has become a cornerstone of global malnutrition treatment. Its long shelf life and ease of use have made it especially valuable in remote or underserved areas where access to clinical care is limited.
Reports shows that RUTF allows caregivers to administer treatment at home, with periodic monitoring by health workers, significantly increasing recovery rates for children with severe acute malnutrition.
As humanitarian agencies warn of rising malnutrition rates across northern Nigeria, Gombe officials say the latest funding is intended to ensure that no child is denied treatment due to resource constraints.
