Headlines
Alive and Thrive launches nutrition campaign in Kano
Mukhtar Yahya Usman
The Maternal, Infant, and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCIN) sponsored by Alive and Thrive is thriving in Kano despite the sociocultural and religious challenges involved.
KANO FOCUS reports that the MIYCIN campaign aims to promote new norms around feeding practices among mothers and families, cultivate a better understanding of nutrition-related behavior, and improve nutrition outcomes in children within the first 1000 days of birth.
As a community-based project aimed at preventing undernutrition and malnutrition among pregnant women, infants, and children, the focus of the activities is preventive and not treatment. This involves mobilization, advocacy, enlightenment, training, and capacity building.
Some of the CBOs involved in the project in Kano, include, Grassroot Health and Empowerment Foundation (GHEF), Society for Women and Teenage Children (SWATCH), and Africa Institute for Development Professionals (iDevPro Africa), which are funded by Alive and Thrive Foundation describe the progress of the project despite the challenges involved.
The Alive and Thrive project is a global initiative, that is targeted at saving lives, preventing illness, and ensuring the healthy growth of mothers and children now has an expanded scope to include maternal and adolescent nutrition, and using agriculture and social protection programs as delivery mechanisms for maternal, infant, and young child nutrition (MIYCN) by engaging three CBOs in Kano to spread the program ideas across some selected local communities.
Speaking with newsmen on Wednesday the Chief Executive Officer of GHEF, Audu Tela said they Counsel pregnant women to change their attitude towards nutrition with sponsorship and grants from Alive and Thrive. Alive and Thrive are working to scale programs that improve maternal, infant, young child, and adolescent nutrition.
Rahmat Shehu Garba, Executive Director of SWATCH, said they signed an MoU with the sponsors last November to work in four Local Government Areas of Wudil, Takai Ajingi, and the Municipal where we introduce the MIYCIN project to the communities.
“We are so far into advocacy visits to the selected LGAs in Kano south, where we are enlightening women, community leaders, and health workers on exclusive breastfeeding and other nutritional values.”
She said although they are facing challenges with some of the target participants, through the project they are enlightening people to accept and practice the process and that they are gradually gaining acceptance.
For IDev-Pro-African Institute (African Institute of International Development Professionals), another partnering CBO, the call is for government and community leaders to support Alive and Thrive for the sustainable achievement of the project.
Speaking through the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of the MIYCN project, Abdulmajid Auwal, said they are currently raising awareness among the target communities to embrace locally available resources that will enhance nutritional values.
“In this hardship moment, meat is expensive, so part of our work is to raise awareness among people that there are other locally available foods that will enhance nutrition. Like beans, moringa, and so on,” he said.
Some of the challenges they identified include getting access to members of the communities due to sociocultural barriers.
Where such occurs, the groups pay advocacy visits to community and religious leaders, to enlighten them on the need for women to breastfeed their children intermittently especially in the first six months after birth.
Breastfeeding the child during this period enhances better growth of the child’s brain and body. It provides the needed cholesterol for the development of the child.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited has announced that its ex-depot price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) remains unchanged, reaffirming its commitment to stability in Nigeria’s domestic energy market.
In a statement issued by Esan Sunday, Head of Media Relations, Branding and Communication, the company said sustaining the current price reflects its efforts to cushion the broader economy against external shocks. It noted that by absorbing prevailing cost pressures, the refinery is helping to moderate inflationary risks, promote energy affordability, and ensure uninterrupted fuel supply amid ongoing global uncertainties.
The company reiterated its dedication to the steady supply of high-quality petroleum products to the Nigerian market, while aligning with national objectives of price stability and energy security.
It also urged the public to rely solely on official communications from the refinery for accurate and up-to-date information regarding its operations and pricing.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated Alhaji Murtala Sule Garo on his emergence as the Deputy Governor of Kano State following his swearing-in on Tuesday.
KANO FOCUS reports that Garo was sworn in by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf after being nominated to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of former deputy governor, Comrade Aminu Abdulsalam.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President described Garo’s appointment as a positive step toward strengthening unity within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State.
The President noted that the 48-year-old politician has held several public offices, including Chairman of Kabo Local Government Area and Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs during the administration of former governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. He also served as the APC governorship running mate in the 2023 general elections.
Tinubu commended Governor Yusuf for the appointment, urging political stakeholders in the state to rally behind the administration to ensure stability and progress.
He also called on the new deputy governor to work closely with the governor in delivering effective leadership and accelerating development in Kano State.
The President wished Garo success in his new role.
Ibrahim Khalil
A dramatic political moment unfolded in Kano on Tuesday as former governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje publicly acknowledged Muhammad Sanusi II as the Emir of Kano and Chairman of the Kano State Council of Emirs.
KANO FOCUS reports that the unexpected gesture occurred during the swearing-in ceremony of the newly appointed Deputy Governor, Murtala Sule Garo, at Government House, Kano—an event attended by top political leaders and traditional rulers.
While delivering his goodwill message, Ganduje addressed Sanusi by his full royal title, drawing immediate attention from dignitaries at the ceremony. The audience responded with loud applause when he greeted the Emir and recognised his position as head of the Kano Emirate Council.
The development is particularly significant given the long-standing rift between the two figures. Sanusi was removed from the throne during Ganduje’s administration, a decision that sparked widespread political and legal controversy at the time.
However, the political landscape shifted following the emergence of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, under whose administration Sanusi was reinstated as Emir of Kano.
Observers say Ganduje’s public acknowledgment signals a possible easing of tensions and may point to broader efforts at reconciliation within Kano’s political and traditional institutions.
The moment has since been described by analysts as a “twist of fate” in Kano politics, where former rivalries appear to be giving way to cautious gestures of respect among key actors.
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