Plateau Government Highlights Gains in Fight Against Malnutrition

By Audu Wayne Pangyuk

The Plateau State Government says it has strengthened nutrition services across the state, including mobilising ₦500 million through the Child Nutrition Match Fund and securing six truckloads of nutrition commodities for vulnerable populations.

The achievements were outlined by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning and Chairman of the State Committee on Food and Nutrition, Mr Yohanna Mangtu, during a press briefing for National Nutrition Week in Plateau State.

Mangtu said the “Time Is Now” administration had adopted a multisectoral approach to malnutrition, involving government ministries and agencies, development partners, civil society organisations and communities.

He cited the scale of the challenge, noting that Plateau State’s stunting rate among children stands at 44.6 per cent. He also said malnutrition causes significant economic losses nationally through reduced productivity and lost potential.

According to the briefing, nutrition governance and coordination have been strengthened across all 17 local government areas. Health interventions during the reporting period included vitamin A supplementation for 90,887 children aged 6–59 months and deworming for 571,839 children aged 12–59 months.

A further 126,592 children received small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements, with 83,470 cartons distributed. The state also trained 124 health workers in Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition, the statement said.

In agriculture, the government distributed about 500 truckloads of fertiliser—equivalent to 126,000 bags—across the state’s 17 local government areas, alongside improved seeds intended to boost food production and household food security.

The Ministry of Education supported school nutrition efforts for 7,288 students in 21 public boarding secondary schools and promoted school gardens. The State Universal Basic Education Board also facilitated the planting of 1,340 economic trees at 17 primary schools in the Central Senatorial Zone.

Other initiatives included training 160 food vendors in food safety and investments in livestock services and infrastructure through the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project.

The briefing also credited civil society and development partners with supporting climate-smart agriculture, nutrition advocacy, health-worker training, household screening and caregiver education. It said Life Helpers Initiative trained 320 health workers in nutrition diagnosis, treatment, referrals, documentation and reporting.

Mangtu said the administration would continue working with partners and communities to expand nutrition services and strengthen food systems. He called on public and private stakeholders to sustain their support, describing nutrition as an investment in human capital and the state’s future development.