Gombe, UNICEF Targets Child Malnutrition with N1bn Lifeline

By Auwal Umar, Gombe

The Gombe State Government and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have unveiled a N1 billion intervention aimed at combating acute malnutrition among children, as alarming nutrition indicators continue to threaten the well-being of thousands of young children across the state.

The intervention, funded through a counterpart arrangement in which the state government and UNICEF contributed N500 million each, will provide Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) for the treatment of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.

Speaking during a monitoring exercise of the nutrition commodities, the executive secretary of the Gombe State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Abdulrahman Shuaibu, described malnutrition as one of the most serious public health challenges confronting the state.

According to him, the therapeutic food products will be distributed across all local government areas to ensure that affected children receive timely treatment and nutritional support.

“These emergency foods, known as ready-to-use therapeutic food, are meant for the management of children with acute malnutrition. The Gombe State Government has provided N500 million as matching funds, while UNICEF also contributed N500 million, bringing the total investment to N1 billion,” he said.

Dr Shuaibu noted that the government was taking proactive measures because of the growing burden of child malnutrition in the state.

Recent findings from the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2023-24 show that malnutrition remains a major concern in Gombe and across the North-East. The survey revealed that children in the region continue to face high levels of stunting, wasting and underweight conditions, indicators that reflect chronic and acute undernutrition.

The agency head said the intervention aims to save lives and get the supplies to the kids who need them most.

“Gombe has a high number of malnourished children, and this situation has compelled the government to take decisive action. We are monitoring the distribution process closely to ensure transparency and accountability so that these commodities reach the intended beneficiaries,” he stated.

Also speaking, UNICEF’s Vaccine Security and Logistics Representative in Gombe State, Pharmacist Abubakar Muhammad, said the intervention was informed by nutrition data that identified a significant number of children requiring urgent nutritional support.

“Based on available data, we observed that many children are suffering from malnutrition and require these nutritional supplements. That is why UNICEF intervened by providing ready-to-use therapeutic food for the management of malnourished children,” he explained.

Muhammad noted that UNICEF has maintained a strong partnership with Gombe State over the past seven years, supporting various health and nutrition programmes aimed at improving child survival and development.

“UNICEF has been supporting Gombe State for the past seven years, and we remain committed to sustaining this intervention and other programmes that improve the health and nutrition of children,” he added.

Health experts say severe acute malnutrition remains one of the leading causes of illness and death among children under five, especially in vulnerable communities where access to nutritious food is limited.

With the new N1 billion investment, thousands of children are expected to benefit from life-saving treatment, offering renewed hope to families struggling to protect their children from the devastating effects of hunger and malnutrition.

For many parents across Gombe, the intervention represents more than a government programme, it is a chance for their children to survive, recover and grow into healthy adults.

34.7 Million Mosquito Nets Reach Nigerians as Supply Chain Innovation Boosts Malaria Fight

By Auwal Ahmad Umar

A major effort to help Nigeria fight malaria has successfully delivered 34.7 million insecticide-treated mosquito nets to 10 states in 2025, according to the Supply Chain Initiative (SCI) run by the Society for Family Health (SFH).

The achievement highlights the crucial role of efficient transportation, warehousing, and tracking systems in delivering lifesaving health commodities to millions of households, particularly in communities vulnerable to malaria.

In a statement issued in Abuja, MD Christopher Dangana said the operation ranks among the largest mosquito net distribution exercises carried out in the country recently.

He noted that while public attention often focuses on the number of nets distributed or lives protected, the success of such health interventions largely depends on the strength of the logistics network behind them.

According to him, the programme demonstrated how technology-driven solutions, transparency, and collaboration among stakeholders can significantly improve the delivery of critical healthcare supplies.

Nigeria remains one of the countries most affected by malaria globally, with pregnant women and children under the age of five among the most vulnerable groups. Insecticide-treated mosquito nets continue to be recognised as one of the most effective preventive tools against malaria.

Dangana explained that moving millions of mosquito nets from central warehouses to communities required a vast operational structure that involved storage facilities, transportation routes, local government depots, and thousands of distribution centres spread across the participating states.

The initiative was implemented in collaboration with the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), Catholic Relief Services (CRS), and other development partners, and was funded by the Global Fund.

He disclosed that a total of 36.5 million mosquito nets were transported from central storage facilities to local government warehouses, while 34.7 million eventually reached community-level distribution points where beneficiaries collected them.

Describing the operation as a landmark achievement, Dangana said every successful delivery represented additional protection for families living in malaria-prone areas.

A key factor behind the success, he said, was the introduction of digital tools designed to improve accountability and provide real-time visibility throughout the supply chain.

One of the innovations deployed was the logistic tracking application, which enabled program managers and health officials to monitor the movement of mosquito nets from dispatch to final delivery.

The technology was initially tested in two states during the 2024 campaign before being expanded to all 10 participating states this year.

Dangana revealed that the project recorded complete delivery coverage across all designated locations without losing a single mosquito net during transportation.

“The programme achieved full delivery to all targeted local government warehouses and distribution centres, with no losses recorded throughout the movement process,” he stated.

Data from the campaign showed that Kano State received the highest allocation, with 7.74 million mosquito nets. Kaduna followed with 4.5 million, while Katsina received 4.3 million.

Other beneficiary states included Niger and Delta with 3.1 million nets each, Jigawa with 2.98 million, Ogun with 2.91 million, Gombe with 2.1 million, Yobe with 2.05 million, and Taraba with 1.7 million.

Dangana explained that every consignment passed through a digital verification process that tracked dispatch, transit, arrival, and confirmation stages. Electronic proof of delivery was generated for each shipment, creating a transparent record of movement and receipt.

He added that the technology significantly improved oversight and reduced the risk of diversion or loss of commodities.

Despite the success, the operation was not without challenges. Logistics teams had to navigate poor road infrastructure, seasonal flooding, and difficult-to-access rural communities.

In some parts of Delta State, for example, transportation involved a combination of trucks and boats to reach riverine settlements. Certain deliveries required multiple transfers before arriving at their final destinations.

Limited telecommunications coverage in remote areas also affected the speed of digital reporting during parts of the campaign.

Nevertheless, Dangana said the teams maintained delivery schedules and ensured that all designated communities received their allocations.

He praised the partnership among government agencies, donor organisations, and implementing partners, noting that strong coordination was critical to the success of the project.

According to him, the National Malaria Elimination Programme provided strategic leadership, while Catholic Relief Services was the principal recipient of Global Fund malaria grants.

He stressed that robust logistics systems help maximise donor investments and expand access to preventive healthcare services.

“When supply chains function effectively, health programmes can reach more people and achieve a greater impact. The successful delivery of 34.7 million mosquito nets translates into protection for approximately 17.3 million Nigerians against malaria,” he said.

The latest distribution campaign is expected to strengthen ongoing efforts to reduce malaria infections and deaths across the country, particularly among the most vulnerable populations.

Troops kill ISWAP Shura member in Yobe offensive

By Tada Jutha, Maiduguri

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have killed a senior commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), identified as Abu Jarir, during a coordinated military operation in Yobe State, security sources have said.

The operation, which involved both ground forces and air support, was carried out along the Babangida–Dapchi axis, a strategic corridor in the state.

Military sources told Premium Times-style reporting that the strike followed credible intelligence on the movement of the insurgent leader and his fighters within the area.

“It was around 6:12 p.m. on April 22 that our troops, acting on intelligence, engaged the terrorists in the Babangida general area and successfully neutralised Abu Jarir,” one of the sources said.

Abu Jarir was said to be a member of ISWAP’s Shura council, a top decision-making body within the group. His killing is considered a major blow to the insurgents’ leadership structure in the Lake Chad region, which covers parts of Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

Security officials also disclosed that ISWAP’s overall commander in the Lake Chad region, identified as Ba Shuwa, reportedly dispatched a search team to recover the body of the slain commander shortly after the incident.

The search party, according to the sources, was later sighted moving on motorcycles around the Aljanna Jaule area of Yobe State.

Military authorities have yet to issue an official statement on the operation.

However, sources said troops have continued exploitation operations across the Babangida–Dapchi axis and parts of the Sasawa Forest, as the military intensifies efforts to weaken insurgent networks in the North-east.

The Nigerian military has, in recent months, sustained pressure on ISWAP and Boko Haram factions through a combination of air strikes and ground offensives, targeting their hideouts and supply routes across the region.