The Bauchi State Government has expressed shock over data indicating that child poverty in the state is at an alarming level, with eight out of ten children classified as multidimensionally poor.
Reacting to revelations that N1 billion was spent over two years in Bauchi State on nutrition, Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Abubakar Suleiman, voiced deep concern during a two-day advocacy and sensitisation dialogue. The event, organised for members of the Bauchi and Plateau State Houses of Assembly, highlighted distressing statistics showing a large number of children at risk of severe malnutrition.
Acknowledging the gravity of the situation, Suleiman stated that despite significant spending on nutrition, the crisis persists. He pledged to investigate the expenditure, saying:
“This is worrisome—something is wrong somewhere. Honourable Members, with your permission, I want to suggest that the House Committee on Food and Nutrition embark on an oversight function to find out what went wrong.”
The State Government has since closed its Centres for the Management of Acute Malnutrition due to a stockout of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), a crucial treatment for Severe Acute Malnutrition. Available data indicates that Bauchi State leads the North-East subregion in cases of malnourished children.
Despite a promise made last year by Governor Bala Mohammed to release counterpart funding for the procurement of RUTF, the funds have yet to be disbursed. This pledge was made when UNICEF Ambassador Kate Henshaw visited the state in early 2024. One year on, the commitment remains unfulfilled.
Furthermore, Bauchi State has yet to take advantage of the global Child Nutrition Fund (CNF), which provides a 50 per cent counterpart contribution to support nutrition programmes.
The meeting, held in Jos, Plateau State, was organised by the State Committee on Food and Nutrition, in collaboration with the Ministry of Budget, Economic Planning and Multilateral Coordination, with support from UNICEF. The dialogue focused on ensuring adequate budgetary appropriation for nutrition initiatives. Of the 31 Assembly members, 30 were in attendance.
