By Musa Ubandawaki Sokoto

SOKOTO: The Country Representative of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Koffy Dominique, has reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to achieving zero hunger in Nigeria. During an official engagement in Tangaza Local Government Area, Sokoto State, on Saturday, he disclosed that FAO is targeting one million malnourished children for support in the state.

“As part of its pilot intervention, FAO is collaborating with the Sokoto State Primary Healthcare Development Agency to distribute 21 metric tonnes of Tom Brown, a highly nutritious food, to 1,750 children aged 6 to 59 months,” Dominique explained. “These children were recently discharged from Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) and Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) at the Targeted Supplementary Feeding Programme (TSFP) and Outpatient Therapeutic Programme (OTP) centers. The Tom Brown provides essential nutrients to help them gradually transition to normal family meals, preventing a relapse into acute malnutrition.”

Dominique further stated that the project aims to improve food security and nutrition among vulnerable households, particularly pregnant and breastfeeding women, young girls, and children under five.

He noted that with funding from the French government, FAO is partnering with the Sokoto State Government to implement food and nutrition assistance programs. These efforts aim to increase access to nutritious food and promote sustainable agricultural practices in the state.

“To further strengthen food security and nutritional awareness, FAO is working with the State Ministries of Agriculture and Basic and Secondary Education to establish school gardens in four selected schools across the state,” Dominique added.

“These gardens will serve as educational platforms to enhance agricultural knowledge, practical gardening skills, and nutrition awareness among school-aged children.”

The country representative also revealed that FAO is piloting the program in Sokoto, with plans to expand it to seven states in North-West Nigeria.

“In spite of a slight improvement in security, Nigeria still has 30.6 million displaced persons across the country, with 11 million in the North-West alone, accounting for 35 percent of the national figure,” he noted.

He emphasized that tackling food insecurity and malnutrition remains a top priority for FAO. “We are committed to supporting all North-West states in boosting food production and fighting malnutrition,” he affirmed.

The Executive Secretary of the Sokoto State Primary Health Care Development Agency (SSPHCDA), Hajiya Larai Aliyu Tambuwal, reaffirmed the state government’s full support and commitment to the FAO initiative.

She commended traditional and religious leaders in the pilot areas for their support and cooperation in ensuring the program’s success.

The pilot intervention has commenced in Tangaza and Rabah Local Government Areas, which have been highly affected by bandit activities, with plans to expand the program to other LGAs in the state.