Katsina Approves N500m Nutrition Fund, 95,000 Grain Bags for Vulnerable Residents

By Taibat Ummi Yakubu

The Katsina State Government has approved N500 million in counterpart funding for the procurement of nutrition commodities as part of efforts to tackle acute malnutrition among children across the state.

The decision was taken at the 15th regular meeting of the State Executive Council, presided over by Governor Dikko Umaru Radda on Wednesday at the General Muhammadu Buhari House in Katsina.

The Commissioner for Health, Musa Adamu, said the funding would help maintain the supply of essential nutrition commodities needed to treat children suffering from acute malnutrition.

She explained that the intervention was designed to strengthen the state’s response to child malnutrition while ensuring that vulnerable children continue to receive the nutritional support required for their recovery.

According to the commissioner, the initiative reflects the administration’s broader commitment to improving healthcare services and responding to the needs of residents who are most vulnerable.

But the council’s decisions went beyond healthcare.

The Commissioner for Information and Culture, Dr Salisu Bala Zango, said the government had also approved the purchase of 95,000 bags of assorted grains for distribution to vulnerable and less privileged residents across Katsina State.

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The grain intervention, he explained, is aimed at helping households cope with the pressure created by the current economic situation by providing direct food support to families facing hardship.

The council also approved the distribution of non-food items and cash assistance to vulnerable groups, including orphans, widows, persons with special needs and other disadvantaged members of the society.

The latest measures indicate a broader government strategy that combines immediate relief with interventions targeted at some of the underlying challenges affecting vulnerable households.

Beyond social welfare and healthcare, the council also approved plans to modernise four major markets across the state.

The Special Adviser on Market Development, Mustapha Bala Batsari, said the markets in Dandume, Daura, Mashi and Jibia had been selected for modernisation.

He said the projects would cover markets spread across the state’s three senatorial zones and were expected to improve commercial infrastructure while creating a more conducive environment for traders and consumers.

According to Batsari, improving the markets would not only strengthen commercial activities but also contribute to the socio-economic wellbeing of communities that depend heavily on trading and local commerce.

Taken together, the council’s approvals cut across some of the most immediate concerns facing Katsina residents — food insecurity, child malnutrition, support for vulnerable households and the state’s commercial infrastructure.

The government is therefore betting on a combination of welfare interventions and development projects to cushion economic hardship while improving basic services and creating stronger conditions for economic activity across the state.