Malnutrition: Borno govt, UNICEF to set up therapeutic food factory

The Borno State Government, in partnership with UNICEF, has unveiled plans to establish a therapeutic food factory aimed at tackling the state’s worsening malnutrition crisis, particularly among children in conflict-affected communities.

Speaking on Wednesday at the Boplast Warehouse, State Central Medical Stores in Maiduguri during the handover of 2,254 cartons of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), the state Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Professor Baba Malum Gana, said the initiative would promote local production, reduce reliance on imports, and improve access to treatment for children with severe acute malnutrition.

Gana explained that approximately two million children in the North-East suffer from malnutrition, with over 700,000 battling severe acute malnutrition.

He warned that without timely intervention in the first 1,000 days of life, malnutrition can cause irreversible brain damage and mental retardation. He stressed the need for greater awareness and locally driven solutions to save lives.

“The impact of malnutrition on brain development in early childhood is devastating,” he said. “We must scale up awareness, address cultural barriers, and promote local solutions.”

Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the Borno State Primary Healthcare Management Board, Professor Arab Alhaji, described malnutrition as one of the state’s most serious health challenges, worsened by years of insurgency.

He commended Governor Babagana Umara Zulum for his commitment to tackling the crisis through partnerships with development organisations such as UNICEF.

Alhaji urged parents to pay closer attention to the food given to their children, citing poverty and lack of awareness as major drivers of malnutrition. He noted that many families were unaware of the long-term harm poor nutrition could cause.

“We need to intensify community education to break these barriers,” he said.

UNICEF’s Acting Chief of Maiduguri Field Office, Joseph Senissie, described the planned therapeutic food factory as a strong demonstration of collaboration and commitment to improving child health and nutrition outcomes in Borno.

He praised the state government’s efforts, noting that UNICEF is committed to saving lives and providing a sustainable response to the nutrition crisis in the state.

Senissie also urged parents to ensure proper use of the RUTF distributed under the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF) agreement between UNICEF and the Borno State Government. Under the CNF, both parties contributed N98 million each to procure 2,254 cartons of therapeutic food, which will be delivered to high-burden communities across the state.

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