Jigawa and Bauchi states have moved to deepen interstate collaboration on nutrition, with a high-powered delegation from Bauchi State undertaking a study tour of Jigawa’s MASAKI nutrition programme.
The delegation, led by Bauchi State Commissioner for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Sani Muhammad Dambam, was received on Wednesday by Jigawa State Governor Malam Umar Namadi at Government House, Dutse.
The Bauchi team, which includes health experts, local government officials, budget and planning officers, and technical personnel, is touring selected MASAKI programme sites across Jigawa State to understudy its implementation.
They were accompanied by Jigawa State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abdullahi Muhammad Kainuwa.
Speaking during the visit, Governor Namadi said peer learning and institutional collaboration among states were critical to improving governance outcomes and strengthening public service delivery.
“As leaders entrusted with the responsibility of governance, we all have a duty to ensure that quality services are delivered to our people and that the well-being of citizens continues to improve,” Namadi said. “This kind of collaboration and exchange of ideas is necessary if we truly want to strengthen service delivery across the country.”
He noted that health remains a central pillar of Jigawa’s 12-Point Development Agenda, with focus on maternal and child health, nutrition, and community-based healthcare interventions.
The MASAKI Programme, he said, was introduced to tackle malnutrition at the grassroots level, especially among children and vulnerable households.
“When children suffer malnutrition at an early stage of life, it affects their future and ultimately affects society as a whole. That is why addressing nutrition is not only important; it is necessary,” the governor said.
Namadi also highlighted the Tom Brown Programme, another nutrition initiative designed to improve nutritional outcomes while supporting women’s economic empowerment. He said over 600 women across the state had been trained and supported with startup capital, equipment, and raw materials to produce Tom Brown nutritional supplements, which are procured and distributed free through primary healthcare centres.
Earlier, Dr. Dambam commended Jigawa for its commitment to improving healthcare and nutrition outcomes, saying the visit was approved by Bauchi State Governor Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed to adopt workable strategies for Bauchi.
He said the delegation had already visited several programme sites and interacted with Jigawa’s technical teams to understand the operational framework of the initiative.
“The study visit will provide practical lessons capable of improving healthcare service delivery and nutrition programming in Bauchi State,” Dambam said.
He described Jigawa’s nutrition initiatives as worthy of study and possible replication.
