We’ll Make Supplementary Provision for Nutrition in 2025 Budget – Bauchi Speaker Assures UNICEF, Others

By Samuel Luka, Bauchi

Disturbed by the rate of child malnutrition crisis in Bauchi, the state assembly speaker, Rt. Hon Abubakar Sulaiman has assured of finding a way to making provision for nutrition in the 2025 budget despite been passed and signed into law.

The speaker made the pledge in Jos, Plateau state while declaring a meeting of Bauchi state assembly members, officials of the state ministry of budget and economic planning, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other partners open on Tuesday.

Rt. Hon Sulaiman described nutrition as very important, which if not taken care of, will affect the lives of the children, lamenting that the meeting came late and at a time the 2025 budget has been passed and signed into law by the Governor.

“I was discussing with the deputy speaker that this program should have come before the passage of the 2025 budget, which would have been an avenue for us to discuss so many issues surrounding malnutrition and then include it in the 2025 budget”, he said.

“Unfortunately the 2025 budget has already been passed, but that notwithstanding, as members of the house of assembly who have the responsibility of passing the budget, we will definitely see what we can do to ensure that what we are going to discuss here is reflected in the budget, we have a legal way of doing that, and in Sha Allahu we will do something about that”, he assured.

Rt. Hon Sulaiman who commended the house members for attending the meeting, assured UNICEF that the assembly is committed to policies that would improve the living standard of children.

Speaker Sulaiman said, to show commitment to issue of nutrition, Bauchi state assembly under his speakership has constituted a standing committee on nutrition and food security chaired by a member who has concerns for nutrition unlike before when there was none.

According to him, the committee which comprises of committee chairmen on agriculture, health and appropriation as members, indicated the seriousness of the assembly regarding nutrition.

“We want to assure UNICEF and other partners that Bauchi state assembly is fully committed to ensuring that our children are free from malnutrition. I commend the ministry of budget and economic planning and UNICEF for initiating this important meeting for the members of the state assembly as representatives of the people at the grassroot to discuss about nutrition”, the speaker disclosed.

Earlier in a goodwill message, the Chief of Bauchi Field Office of the United Nations Children’s Fund UNICEF Dr. Nuzhat Rafique stated that the fund has been a partner to Bauchi state in addressing malnutrition through enhanced nutrition financing.

She explained that the UNICEF provides both technical and financial assistance to strengthen policies, improve service delivery and ensure the availability of essential nutrition commodities, including ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) and multiple micronutrients supplements (mms).

Dr. Rafique who commended the Bauchi state government for the continued collaboration, said without children, no future of any given society is guaranteed.

She recalled that in the last five years, there has been 2.9 percent increase in severe acute malnutrition and 7 percent increase in moderate malnutrition in Bauchi state, saying action must be taken to curb the trend by expanding the investment in nutrition to save the children.

The UNICEF Chief of Field Office Bauchi stressed that proactive steps must be taken to improve nutrition financing, noting that the meeting provides the opportunity for the stakeholders to discuss and commit to actionable strategies to increase funding.