The Kaduna Emergency Nutrition Action Plan (KADENAP) project manager, Umar Bambale, has urged Nutrition Focal Persons (NFPs) in the state to be diligent in enhancing nutrition while reminding them of sanctions for laxity.

Mr Bambale made the call to the NFPs from the state’s 23 LGAs at a two-day quarterly coordination and review meeting on Monday in Zaria LGA.

UNICEF supported the State Committee on Food and Nutrition (SCFN), domiciled at the state’s Planning and Budget Commission (PBC), which convened the quarterly coordination and review meeting.

Mr Bambale lamented that malnutrition was rising amidst the soaring economy that had permeated the country.

He, however, said, ”When the NFPs perform their duties diligently, the rising cases of malnutrition will be tamed, resulting from multiple efforts and activities that could avert cases.”

The project manager decried that most NFPs do not go to their Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) sites at their respective LGAs.

He said sanctions, which included query, would begin to be issued down the hierarchy to the NFPs, adding, ” They don’t have any other duty than nutrition in their LGAs.

”We know what is currently happening in the country, and that is what is also happening to malnutrition. We must, however, do our best to tackle this in the state.”

Earlier, the deputy director of the Development Aid Coordination, Priscilla Dariya, said the overall objective of the review meeting was to review and update all nutrition activities in the 23 LGAs.

She added that it was specifically to document the current nutrition activities in the LGAS and the barriers and opportunities for optimal nutrition practices.

The deputy director also said the meeting was to improve the members’ capacity to implement nutrition activities in the LGAs.

Ms Dariya advocated behavioural change towards positive living and the coordination of nutrition activities across all the LGAs.

In a goodwill message, the sonal coordinator, Kaduna State Primary Health Care Board, Zone II, Lawal Hayatudeen and the representative of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, Sani Hassan, stressed the importance of nutrition to society.

(NAN)