By Lizzy Carr
Bauchi State has launched its Multi-Sectoral Plan of Action for Food and Nutrition (BSMSPAN) 2024-2028, a comprehensive strategy to tackle malnutrition among children under five and improve food security for a healthier society.
The plan, supported by the *Catalyzing Strengthened Policy Action for Healthy Diets and Resilience* (CASCADE) initiative, was officially unveiled at the State Deputy Governor’s office on Wednesday.
In his remarks during the launch, Deputy Governor Mohammed Jatau emphasized that the state is committed to implementing the National Strategic Plan of Action for Nutrition to help the state advance its health and nutrition objectives.
As the Chairman of the State Nutrition Council (SNC), Jatau highlighted that the present administration has taken decisive steps to reduce hunger and malnutrition.
“The government recognizes that addressing malnutrition and hunger cannot be the responsibility of one sector alone,” he said.
“The state government has diversified and initiated nutrition-sensitive interventions across multiple sectors—agriculture, health, social protection, early childhood development, education, and water and sanitation—to meet the Zero Hunger Challenge (ZHC), which includes eliminating stunting among children under five.”
To ensure the plan’s success, the Deputy Governor revealed that the state government has allocated a sufficient budget for nutrition programs, including the Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) and Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF).
“In line with its commitment to addressing these critical issues, the state government has taken bold steps to involve relevant sectors in the development of a costed strategic plan for nutrition,” he said.
The plan identifies nine priority areas essential to improving the nutritional status of the state’s population. It also emphasizes the need for enhanced collaboration across sectors, better financing, and robust accountability mechanisms to meet the plan’s ambitious goals.
“This costed plan will serve as both a resource mobilization tool and a guide for effective implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of nutrition programs,” Jatau added.
He further noted that the success of this plan would require sustained commitment from various levels of government, development partners, the private sector, and other stakeholders.
“Bauchi State has already made significant investments in improving its children’s nutritional outcomes,” the Deputy Governor said. “This plan will serve as an advocacy tool to secure further nutrition financing and track progress through its monitoring and evaluation components.”
The Commissioner of Budget, Economic Planning, and Multilateral Coordination, Amina Katagum, expressed gratitude to the partners for their support in developing the action plan.
Represented by Permanent Secretary Jibrin Yusuf, Katagum assured that the BSMSPAN would significantly contribute to the state’s efforts to end malnutrition among children under five.
International organizations, including UNICEF, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Alive and Thrive, FHI360, and others, commended the initiative and pledged their support for its full implementation. Their shared goal is to ensure that no child dies from severe acute malnutrition or from a lack of locally sourced and produced nutritional foods.
In his concluding remarks, Jatau reiterated that tackling malnutrition and hunger requires the collective effort of all sectors.
“The state government is committed to addressing these challenges through integrated interventions, aiming for zero stunting and improved nutrition across Bauchi.”
