Katsina Launches Statewide Survey to Tackle Malnutrition
From Mu’awiyya Bala Idris Katsina
The Katsina State Government has flagged off a statewide nutrition survey aimed at generating reliable data to strengthen policies and interventions targeting malnutrition among children and women.
The survey is being carried out by the Katsina State Bureau of Statistics in partnership with the Ministry of Health, UNICEF, and other development partners. It will cover all 34 Local Government Areas in the state, using the Standardized Monitoring and Assessment of Relief and Transitions (SMART) methodology.
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Speaking at the flag-off ceremony in Katsina, the state’s Statistician-General, Professor Saifullahi Sani Matazu, said the exercise would generate credible data to guide policy formulation, planning, and effective resource allocation. He noted that the survey would assess child wasting, stunting, and underweight, as well as maternal nutrition, infant and young child feeding practices, health-seeking behaviour, and access to water, sanitation, and hygiene.
Citing findings from the 2025 SMART survey, Professor Matazu said 7.4 percent of children in the state suffered from Global Acute Malnutrition, while 46.3 percent were stunted and 25.8 percent were underweight — figures he said highlight the urgent need for sustained, evidence-based interventions.
UNICEF commended the state government for undertaking the survey and praised Governor Dikko Umar Radda for allocating a dedicated budget for the exercise, noting that Katsina is the first state in Nigeria to make specific budgetary provision for a nutrition survey of this kind.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Primary Healthcare, Hon. Lawal Mukhtar, said the survey’s findings would help strengthen the state’s nutrition and primary healthcare programmes. He disclosed that the number of Outpatient Therapeutic Programme centres rose from 147 in 2024 to 406 in 2026, while Stabilisation Centres increased from seven to 15 over the same period.
Speaking on behalf of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) and the 34 local government chairmen of the state, the Chairman of Danja Local Government Area, Hon. Rabo Tambaya, pledged their full support for the exercise, including community mobilisation and engagement with traditional and religious leaders.
Stakeholders emphasized that the true value of the survey lies in translating its findings into effective policies and targeted interventions to reduce malnutrition and improve maternal and child health outcomes across the state.
