UNICEF, Plateau govt partner to tackle child malnutrition

By Marie-Therese Nanlong

Jos – Plateau State has stepped up efforts in addressing child malnutrition as UNICEF officially handed over 5,392 cartons of Small Quantity Lipid-based Nutrient Supplements (SQ-LNS) to the State Government to be distributed to nursing mothers at the Primary Healthcare Centres.

The intervention, procured through the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF), is a joint investment between the Plateau State Government and UNICEF, and aims to prevent malnutrition in children aged 6–23 months, providing dietary supplementation for 80,000 children across the State over the next five months.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, the Deputy Governor, Ngo Josephine Piyo described the exercise as a milestone in the the Governor Caleb Mutfwang-led administration’s commitment to improve the well-being of children.

“It is with great honour that I stand before you today to launch the distribution of these supplements. This investment will avert irreversible damage to the cognitive, intellectual, and physical development of our children. Daily consumption of SQ-LNS is a strong stand against malnutrition, chronic diseases, and preventable illnesses,” Piyo said.

The Executive Secretary of the Plateau State Primary Healthcare Board, Dr. Raymond Juryit, highlighted the scale of the challenge, revealing alarming statistics that 5,800 children currently suffer from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), 53,539 from Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM), while 59,339 face Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM). Additionally, 326,678 children in the State are stunted.

“These numbers are a call for urgent action,” Dr. Juryit stressed, urging stakeholders to prioritize child nutrition policies, support food programmes, and raise awareness about proper feeding in the first 1,000 days of life.

Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Adams Lekshak, noted that the intervention was made possible after Governor Caleb Mutfwang approved $200,000 for nutrition programmes, which UNICEF matched through the CNF.

“This partnership demonstrates our administration’s resolve to combat malnutrition and secure the future of our children
However, with 141,519 eligible children across the State, this is only the first phase of a wider intervention,” Lekshak noted.

UNICEF’s newly appointed Representative to Nigeria, Wafaa Saeed, applauded the Plateau Government’s leadership, stressing that the first 1,000 days of a child’s life are critical for development.

“If we miss this window, even if a child survives, the damage may be irreversible. This handover is not just about supplements, but about prevention of malnutrition and the long-term human capital investment. UNICEF remains fully committed to supporting Plateau State in this journey,” Saeed stated.

Traditional rulers and local government representatives, including the Ujah Anaguta, Pozoh Johnson Magaji, who represented the Gbong Gwom Jos, Da Jacob Buba, and ALGON Deputy Chairman and Chairman of the Jos South LGA, Silas Dung, pledged their support to the initiative, promising to mobilize communities in the fight against malnutrition.

Malnutrition remains a major public health problem, contributing to 45% of deaths among children under five globally, weakening educational performance, and leading to economic losses estimated at 11% of GDP.

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