By Ibrahim Muhammad
Stakeholders in the nutrition sector have set an ambitious target to reduce the prevalence of child stunting in Jigawa State from the current 55.7 per cent to 20 per cent by 2028 through strengthened advocacy, increased funding and multi-sector collaboration.
The target was announced by the Co-Chair of the National Steering Committee of Civil Society Scaling-Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN), Dr. Radio Olusegun, during a two-day capacity-building workshop for members of the CS-SUNN Jigawa State Chapter held in Dutse with support from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the workshop, Dr. Olusegun said although Jigawa had made progress in addressing child malnutrition, greater commitment from government, development partners, civil society organisations and local communities was needed to achieve meaningful reductions in stunting.
He stressed that sustained engagement and collective action were essential to improving child nutrition and promoting the state’s long-term socio-economic development.
According to him, key measures required to meet the 2028 target include increased budgetary allocation and timely release of nutrition funds, implementation of six-month maternity leave for breastfeeding mothers, and expansion of community-based interventions such as the Masaki Nutrition Programme.
The workshop was organised to strengthen the leadership and advocacy capacity of CS-SUNN members, develop key performance indicators for chapter executives, improve understanding of alliance protocols and produce an annual work plan.
Dr. Olusegun said participants would be equipped with practical skills in advocacy, strategic planning, alliance sustainability and impact-driven programming to enable them champion nutrition initiatives across the state.
He identified inadequate funding, weak policy implementation, poor inter-sectoral coordination and insufficient data for evidence-based decision-making as major challenges affecting nutrition advocacy in Nigeria.
Despite these obstacles, he expressed optimism that growing political commitment, active civil society participation, international support under the Sustainable Development Goals and the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement, as well as the use of digital tools, could accelerate progress in reducing malnutrition.
He urged participants to translate the knowledge gained from the workshop into concrete advocacy actions capable of improving nutrition outcomes and securing a healthier future for children in Jigawa State
