Headlines
Malnutrition hits 2 million children in Kano
Nasiru Yusuf
Latest statistics have shown that the number of malnourished children in Kano state has climbed to two million, a figure that is raising concern among stakeholders.
This was revealed during a stakeholders’ meeting organised by the Aisha Buhari Foundation on Thursday, aimed at re-positioning nutrition as a developmental and rights based issue.
Speaking at the event, Onole Ukedeh, Project Coordinator of the Foundation, said the stakeholders’ meeting was convened to find a lasting solution on the issue, especially in Kano where 58 percent of children are believed to be malnourished.
Ms Ukedeh said “malnutrition affects development by all standards as a stunted child could not even think well and that is why today many children could not pass their school leaving examinations.”
“There is an urgent need to tackle the problems by exploring finance gaps, which would make it easy to appropriate funds where necessary instead of just allocating funds to ministries without knowing their basic values,” She added.
Mrs Ukedeh explained that generally Nigeria has the poorest budget on malnutrition as 32 percent of Children are already affected by one form of malnutrition or the other.
She said since 2017, 58 percent of every 100 children are malnourished and the trend has still not changed.
In his presentation, the National Vice President North, Nutrition Society of Nigeria, Salisu Maiwada suggested the use of local nutritional foods, especially in the rural areas.
Represented by an expert on nutrition, Shehu Sharfadi, Mr Maiwada explained that one must not be rich to be able to afford nutritious food, saying there are many varieties of nutritious foods affordable to common people.
According to him, more investment needs to be done to tackle the menace, calling on the federal and state governments to redouble their efforts.
Similarly, a member of the Kano State House of Assembly, Ali Ibrahim Shanono, representing Bagwai/Shanono Constituency said the state government has already earmarked N4 billion to fight malnutrition.
According to him, apart from the N4 billion approved, there was also another N15 billion set aside at the State Agricultural Development Agency (NARDA) to address the menace.
He said, “we are highly concerned with the prevalent rates of the malnourished children in the state, and therefore urgent effort to take decisive action on the issue has seriously arise (sic).”
Nasiru Yusuf
Kano state governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has approved the domestication of National social protection policy in the state.
Kano Focus reports that the Social Protection Policy is designed to show the commitment of the Government to the effective mobilisation and efficient utilisation of state resources to improve the quality of life of its citizens.
The state Commissioner of planning and budget Nura Muhammad Dankadai revealed this on Friday at a one day interactive session with with journalists and civil society organizations.
Alhaji Nura Muhammad Dankadai
Mr Dankadai said governor Ganduje approved the domestication of the policy on Thursday.
According to him when domesticated the policy will provide legal framework for school feeding programme, ante natal and post natal care, addressing gender based violence and protecting people living with disabilities.
On the meeting with journalists, Mr Dankadai said it was aimed at intimating them with on the state government’s projects and received some inputs for possible submission to the government.
The commissioner uses the opportunity to appeal to civil society organizations and journalists to sensitise people on the current economic challenges which made it difficult for the state to pay workers salary for the month of March.
In their separate contributions Akibu Hamisu, I. G Maryam and Wali Ado Rano advised Kano state government on the need to address multiple taxation, grant local government financial autonomy and holding periodic interactive session with CSOs and journalists.
Nasiru Yusuf
The management of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital has visited the Executive Vice Chairman of Nigerian Communication Commission Umar Garba Danbatta.
Kano Focus reports that during the visit the AKTH team also presented an award to Danbatta as an expression of the hospital’s appreciation for the enormous contributions of the EVC and the Commission to the development of health institutions over the years in the country.
Speaking during the visit, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of AKTH, Abdulrahman Sheshe, who led the delegation on the courtesy call, said, “the objective of our being here today is to appreciate your contribution in person and as EVC of NCC to the growth and development of the teaching hospital.”
According to Sheshe, through the support and donations from Kano people like the EVC and institutions like NCC, the hospital has increased its bed capacity from 250 to 700, as well as performing 57 successful transplant surgeries.
“You have also made enormous contributions in this regard and that has helped us to get new dialysis machines through your assistance and these machines are being put to use, aside from other state-of-the-art equipment already in place,” he said while appreciating the EVC.
The CMD, however, sought NCC’s support in the area of a Health Information Management System (HIMS) and digital capacity for staff.
Responding, however, Danbatta thanked the hospital management for the visit and the award, noting that the Commission supports federal institutions with necessary ICT equipment across the country and is ready to assist AKTH in this regard.
Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta
“As a Commission, we are working to bridge the infrastructure divide, which is an element of the entire digital ecosystem. We do this via a lot of ongoing regulatory initiatives. And, through our training arm, Digital Bridge Institute (DBI), we provide digital literacy to critical sectors of the economy, including the health sector, we also intervene through our Advanced Digital Appreciation Programme,” he said.
According to Danbatta, digital divide can be bridged by making computers available and ICT services accessible to people and key sectors of the economy.
Danbatta (middle) flanked by top management committee of AKTH and NCC staff during the courtesy visit
“Infrastructure that can host this massive flow of information and knowledge is broadband infrastructure and this is top-most in the agenda of the Commission. Indeed, ICT is transforming every sector of the economy and the earlier we embrace the vast opportunity brought by ICT the better,” the EVC pointed out.
Nasiru Yusuf
Police in Kano said they have arrested a 27 year old Abubukar Musa who confessed to have abducted his uncle and received one million Naira ransom.
Kano Focus reports that the police spokesperson in Kano Abdullahi Kiyawa announced this in a video clip sent to journalists on Sunday.
He said the suspect was arrested with two AK 47 ripple suspected to be used for kidnapping and banditry.
Mr Kiyawa said preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect is among the bandits terrorizing some parts of Kano, Birnin Gwari in Kaduna state and some Northern states.
Mr Musa an indigine of Rurum village in Tudun Wada local government Kano state recalled how in the past abducted his uncle and collected one million Naira ransom before he release him.
The suspect also told police that he borrowed the guns found under his possession from Muhammadu Bakanoma in Zamfara state to confront another bandit called Malam at Birnin Gwari whom he accused with abducting his wife and daughter.
“I am a cattle rustler. I once abducted my uncle Alhaji Haruna and my cousin Bappan Jauro six years ago. These are the only two persons I have ever abducted. I abducted him (Alhaji Haruna) because his two children (Medi and Bappan Jauro) have kidnapped my younger sister Hafsat.
” I released him after receiving one million Naira ransom. We are now living with him (Alhaji Haruna( in the same compound,” Mr Musa said.
Mr Kiyawa said investigation is ongoing and will issue a statement when completed.
Kano domesticate social protection policy
‘Yan sanda a Kano sun kama makocin da ya jagoranci yiwa makocinsa fashi
Gwamnatin Kano ta bada umarnin rufe gidajen Abinci da na Biredi
Meet unsung court registrar, Ustaz Sunusi Khalifa
Ganduje ba zai iya biyan cikakken albashin watan Maris ba-Kwamishina
Gwamnatin Kano ta bada umarnin rufe gidajen Abinci da na Biredi
‘Yan sanda a Kano sun kama makocin da ya jagoranci yiwa makocinsa fashi
Ramadan: ‘Yan kasuwa a Kano sunce ba za a samu hauhawar kayan masarufi ba
Meet unsung court registrar, Ustaz Sunusi Khalifa
