FAO Distributes Food To Fight Malnutrition In Sokoto
The distribution of 21 metric tonnes of Tom Brown, a highly nutritious food supplement, by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Nigeria, has excited nursing mothers and others in Sokoto State.
The prepared food was intended for children aged between 6 to 59 months to promote the health and wellness of malnourished children.
The targeted children included those recently discharged from Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) and Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) at the Targeted Supplementary Feeding Programme (TSFP) and Outpatient Therapeutic Programme (OTP) centres.
The Executive Secretary of the Sokoto State Primary Health Care Development Agency (SSPHCDA), Dr Larai Tambuwal, described the intervention as a life-saving initiative, which would further augment the state government’s commitment to healthcare services.
Larai underscored the importance of good nutrition for infants and growing children, illustrating the difference between a healthy child receiving quality nutrition and a malnourished one.
She explained that malnourished children were more vulnerable to diseases and other outbreaks, while healthy children were better equipped with protective immunity. She also said that the supplement provided by the FAO was prepared with locally sourced materials, including maize, groundnut, soybeans, millet, and fish.
While reaffirming the state government’s full support and commitment to the initiative, Larai said officials would continue to educate residents on how they could prepare the supplement hygienically. She also called on traditional and religious leaders in the pilot programme areas for their cooperation in ensuring the programme’s success.
A traditional ruler in Tangaza, Alhaji Ahmad Galadima, commended the FAO for its support and urged officials handling the programme to ensure transparency and that the right individuals received the correct quantities of supplements.
In separate interviews, some of the nursing mothers, including Hauwa’u Musa, Maryam Shehu, Bilkisu Babangida, and Murjanatu Abubakar, expressed excitement over the gesture. They noted that they had received similar supplements previously, but their distribution was cut short for unknown reasons.
During interactive sessions with stakeholders in Tangaza and Raba Local Government Areas, the Country Representative of the FAO in Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Koffy Dominique, stated that Tom Brown provided essential nutrients.
He explained that this helped children gradually transition to normal family meals and emphasised that the transition also helped prevent a relapse into acute malnutrition.
Dominique explained that the current intervention, which began in March, 2025, was a pilot programme in collaboration with the Sokoto State Ministry of Health. According to him, at present, no fewer than 1,750 children are expected to be reached, while the overall programme aims to target one million children in the state.
He further stated that the project was designed to improve food security and nutrition among vulnerable households, particularly pregnant and breastfeeding women, young girls, and children under five.
According to him, with funding from the Government of France, FAO is partnering with the state government to implement food and nutrition assistance programmes by increasing access to nutritious food and promoting sustainable agricultural practices.
“To further strengthen food security and nutritional awareness, FAO is working with the Sokoto State Ministries of Agriculture and Basic and Secondary Education to establish school gardens in four selected schools across the state.
“These gardens will serve as educational platforms to enhance agricultural knowledge, practical gardening skills, and nutrition awareness among school-aged children,” he added.
“The country representative also mentioned that FAO is piloting the programme in Sokoto State, with plans to expand it across the 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. In the North-West alone, 11 million displaced persons account for 35 per cent of the national figure,” he said.
Dominique emphasised that tackling food insecurity and malnutrition remained a top priority for FAO. “We are committed to supporting all North-West states in boosting food production and fighting malnutrition” he said.
An activist in the community, Ahmad Musa, said that in spite of the current commitment from government officials, community members, and intervention agencies, there was a need to ensure transparent dealings and safeguard the items from diversion.
He said it was reported during a similar intervention programme by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) that some mischievous activities were recorded during the distribution of the supplements.
Musa said there were allegations that some bad elements in the system connived with traders to sell the supplements to unintended recipients or openly sell them in markets. “Some stores were discovered to have stocked cartons of supplements filled with stones and other objects to cover their nefarious actions.
“In such instances, there is a need for the state government to fast-track data collection, prudence, preservation, and dissemination in line with modern trends.
“Furthermore, community members and stakeholders in the healthcare sector should intensify vigilance to prevent the diversion of prepared nutritional supplements in the state, Musa said.
NAN
FAO Distributes Food To Fight Malnutrition In Sokoto is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
