Nigeria: Special Report - in Jigawa Communities, Nutrition Programmes Offer Hope Amid Child Hunger

In Jigawa, communities are seeing hope through nutrition programmes aimed at combating child hunger. Despite Jigawa's status as one of Nigeria's states with the highest child malnutrition rates, recent interventions have yielded positive results. One such community is Kyaurawa, a remote area in Birnin Kudu Local Government Area.

Inside a mud hut, Halima Umar-Dagaji, a mother of six, shared her struggles with providing nutritious meals for her children. For breakfast, they often consumed leftover food; for lunch, they ate rice, beans, or drank milk; and at night, they primarily consumed millet, guinea corn, and maize. However, following the introduction of nutrition-focused interventions, things began to change.

Organized by the government, donor agencies, and other organizations, these interventions included teaching families how to prepare nutritious meals using vegetables and promoting personal hygiene. Additionally, they were educated on money-saving techniques through cooperative groups and methods to enhance milk production from their cows.

While child malnutrition remains widespread in Jigawa, with nearly half of deaths among children under five linked to undernutrition, those in Kyaurawa reported improvements in their children's health. According to the WHO, 56% of children in Jigawa are stunted, a figure that has improved from 64% in 2018, likely due to the expanded community interventions.

Experts attribute the slight decline in malnutrition to several factors, including community interventions, increased access to treatment for severe acute malnutrition, heightened awareness of breastfeeding and child-feeding practices, and enhanced collaboration among health, agriculture, and social protection programmes. Sahel Consulting Limited, a firm focused on agriculture and nutrition, runs one such programme in Kyaurawa.

The community's chairman, Umar Ibrahim, highlighted the positive impact of improved livestock support and nutrition education. Backyard gardening, increased milk production, and nutrition awareness campaigns have helped households improve their children's diets and overall health. The introduction of backyard gardening has led to a noticeable reduction in malnutrition cases among children, with Mrs. Umar-Dagaaji reporting that they have not experienced malnutrition in her community over the past one to two years.

Despite initial skepticism, residents gradually accepted the intervention programmes after officials spent time building trust and explaining their activities. The programme initially focused on improving livestock healthcare and access to clean water before expanding into household nutrition, women's empowerment, and income-support activities. Women were trained in small-scale businesses, savings systems, and income-generating activities, allowing them to contribute to their families' income and improve household feeding.

Furthermore, the programme introduced community savings structures, enabling residents to contribute to a collective account for emergencies and hardships. Improved water access and livestock assistance have also positively impacted the community, with animals now drinking clean water from boreholes, leading to better health and milk production.