FIC REPORT (KADUNA STATE) – Kaduna State Deputy Governor, Dr Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, has been decorated as a Kaduna State Nutrition Champion alongside the Head of Service, Mrs Jummai Bako, and other prominent women, as the state intensifies advocacy for improved nutrition and exclusive breastfeeding.
Dr Balarabe received the recognition on the 2026 Women in Power Conference organised by the Kaduna State Planning and Budget Commission in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development and Civil Society Scaling-Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN).
The event, held at the Conference Hall of the Planning and Budget Commission, was attended by the Commissioner, Mukhtar Ahmed, senior government officials, representatives of the Federal Ministry, civil society organisations and wives of Local Government Chairmen across the state.
Speaking at the conference, the Deputy Governor described the recognition as both an honour and a responsibility, assuring that the Kaduna State Government under Governor Uba Sani would sustain its commitment to nutrition financing and related health interventions.
She said nutrition was fundamental to human capital development, stressing that well-nourished children have better opportunities to survive, learn, grow and realise their full potential.
A presentation on the nutrition situation in the state revealed that Kaduna recorded an eight percent reduction in malnutrition between 2018 and 2026. The state was also commended for being the only state in Nigeria with dedicated nutrition budget lines across Ministries, Departments and Agencies and all 23 Local Government Areas.
Dr Balarabe highlighted 82 percent Vitamin A supplementation and 79 percent Mid-Upper Arm Circumference screening coverage recorded during the June 2026 Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week. She added that 30,089 children were treated for severe acute malnutrition across the state in 2025.
She commended stakeholders for their contributions and pledged, as Nutrition Champion, to strengthen advocacy for political commitment, sustainable financing, exclusive breastfeeding and improved maternal and child nutrition.
The Deputy Governor stressed that nutrition is a shared, multisectoral responsibility requiring coordinated action across health, agriculture, education, water and sanitation, social protection and women’s empowerment.
Signed:
Muhammad Gwani
AD FIRC KADUNA
22nd September, 2026.
