The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has lauded the Borno State Government for taking decisive steps to combat malnutrition with the launch of a state-wide food and nutrition committee.
The newly inaugurated committee includes representatives from all 27 local government areas and is tasked with implementing the Federal Government’s Nutrition 774 (N774) initiative—an effort to tackle malnutrition from the grassroots up.
At the launch event in Maiduguri, Joseph Senesie, Chief of UNICEF’s Maiduguri Field Office, described the committee as a vital frontline in the fight against child malnutrition.
“What we are launching is more than just a committee—it’s a frontline defense against malnutrition,” Senesie said. “With high levels of stunting, wasting, and micronutrient deficiencies among children, this initiative is both timely and necessary.”
Senesie praised the state government’s alignment with the N774 initiative, spearheaded by Vice President Kashim Shettima, saying it empowers local governments to take ownership of nutrition challenges and deliver results.
“This initiative flips the script by placing decision-making power directly at the community level,” he noted.
He emphasized that the committee must work across multiple sectors—health, education, agriculture, social protection, and WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene)—to drive meaningful change.
“These committees must be more than functional—they must be transformational,” Senesie said, adding that UNICEF will continue to partner with the state and other stakeholders to support the initiative.
This praise from UNICEF comes shortly after reports of concerns over the illegal diversion and sale of therapeutic food intended for malnourished children in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states.
