By Philip Yatai

The Niger State Nutrition Officer, Mrs Amina Isah, said on Thursday that lack of cash backing for fund releases for nutrition intervention was undermining the ongoing fight against malnutrition in the state.

Isah stated this in Abuja at the ongoing two-day Health and Nutrition Budget Meeting for officials of nutrition line MDAs from Kaduna, Nasarawa and Niger states.

The meeting was organised by Civil Society Scaling-Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN), Alive and Thrive (FHI 360) and Save the Children International (SCI) to push for improved nutrition funding.

According to her, the relevant ministries, departments and agencies always get funds approval on paper, but cash backing remained a serious problem.

“After getting budget approval, we write memos, get approval, but to get the cash is a very serious issue. This is the area I will really like to see improvement.

“That is why we are here in this meeting with people that matter such as the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance and Accountant-General.

“We are equally here with members of the Niger House of Assembly: Deputy Speaker, chairmen House Committees on Finance, Health and Appropriation to garner their support.

“We are hoping that they will understand the magnitude of malnutrition in the state, understand our challenges in accessing funds and support us with the necessary cash backing of fund releases,” she said.

Isah disclosed that the state has huge number of stunted children with impaired brain development with long term negative effect on the child productivity due to malnutrition.

She also said that a reasonable number of children under five years in the state were acutely malnourished and were 10 times more likely to die than normal children.

“We are currently implementing Community Infant and Young Child Feeding programme in eight local government areas as part of intervention to prevent malnutrition among children under five years.

“We are equally implementing Community Management of Acute Malnutrition in one council to provide access to curative services and save affected children from dying of acute malnutrition.

“We will be able to treat affected children and carry out effective preventive intervention only if needed funds are made available.

“For example, only N20 million out of the N60 million budgeted for procurement of Ready to Use Therapeutic Food for the treatment of severe acute malnourished children was released in 2019,” she said.

The Permanent Secretary of the state’s Ministry of Finance, Mr Mohammed Sadauki, promised to ensure timely cash backing of approved funds for nutrition intervention.

“The state had budgeted N191.5 million for nutrition interventions in 2019 and so far, N109.2 million had been released.

“I will ensure that at least 40 per cent of the balance is released before the end of the year,” he said.

Sadauki also assured that there would be great improvement in cash backing of approved funds in 2020 to enable line agencies implement needed interventions in malnutrition.

Similarly, Dr Hussaini Akote, Chairman House Committee on Health and Nutrition in the state Assembly, equally pledged to provide the needed support in pushing for budget approval and releases.

“We all have a role to play in saving our children from preventable death. We will provide the needed support to the course,” Akote said.