In a decisive move to safeguard the lives of thousands of vulnerable children, Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has approved the immediate disbursement of Five Hundred Million Naira (₦500,000,000) as the state’s matching counterpart funding for the procurement of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF). The funds will be channeled through the global Child Nutrition Fund (CNF) mechanism in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
This substantial financial commitment is specifically targeted at scaling up the treatment of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), a life-threatening condition that affects tens of thousands of children under five years old across northern Nigeria, including Gombe State. Severe acute malnutrition remains one of the leading causes of preventable child mortality in the region, but the introduction of community-based management using RUTF has revolutionized outcomes by allowing treatment to take place at home rather than requiring prolonged hospital admission.
Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food is a peanut-based, nutrient-dense paste fortified with essential vitamins and minerals. It requires no cooking or mixing with water (a critical advantage in areas with poor water quality), has a long shelf life, and can be safely administered by mothers and caregivers after minimal training. Clinical trials and decades of field use worldwide have repeatedly demonstrated that RUTF can achieve recovery rates above 90% when children are identified and treated early.
Gombe State has earned a well-deserved reputation as one of the very few states in Nigeria that has never defaulted on its nutrition counterpart funding obligations since the inception of such partnerships. While many states struggle to release even a fraction of pledged amounts, Gombe has consistently met or exceeded its commitments year after year, making it a reliable and trusted partner for UNICEF, the World Food Programme, and other international agencies working on child survival.
The latest ₦500 million release is not an isolated gesture. It forms part of Governor Inuwa Yahaya’s deliberate and sustained policy thrust to prioritize child health and nutrition as foundational pillars for the state’s long-term human capital development. Since assuming office, his administration has steadily increased budgetary allocations to primary healthcare, renovated and equipped rural health facilities, trained thousands of community health workers, and expanded immunization coverage. These efforts have already begun to reflect in improving key indicators: Gombe has recorded progressive declines in under-five mortality, stunting rates, and wasting prevalence compared to baseline figures from a decade ago.
Speaking on the rationale behind the funding approval, Governor Yahaya reiterated his administration’s zero-tolerance stance toward preventable child deaths. “No child in Gombe State should suffer or lose their life to a condition that is both preventable and treatable,” he declared. “Investing in the nutritional well-being of our children today is the surest way to secure a healthier, more productive citizenry tomorrow. Every naira spent on RUTF is an investment in the future workforce, leadership, and prosperity of Gombe State.”
The partnership model being employed is particularly noteworthy. Under the Child Nutrition Fund arrangement, donor contributions are matched naira-for-naira (or in some cases at higher ratios) by state governments. This co-financing approach not only stretches limited donor resources but also fosters ownership and accountability at the sub-national level. Gombe’s prompt release of its own share triggers an equal or greater inflow of international resources, effectively doubling or tripling the quantity of RUTF that can be procured and distributed within the state.
Once the procurement process is completed, cartons of RUTF will be prepositioned at state and local government cold-chain stores before being distributed through the over 600 primary healthcare centres and hundreds of community-based outreach sites spread across Gombe’s eleven local government areas. Health workers and volunteers will intensify active case-finding in rural and hard-to-reach communities, measure mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), check for bilateral pitting oedema, and enroll eligible children into the eight-week outpatient therapeutic programme. Mothers will receive weekly rations along with basic counselling on infant and young child feeding practices.
Nutrition stakeholders in the state have hailed the governor’s decision as both timely and transformative. Malam Usman Bello, a community leader in Kwami Local Government Area, one of the hotspots for acute malnutrition, noted that in previous years, many families had to travel long distances or sell livestock to buy therapeutic food on the open market when government supplies ran out. “With this new funding, we believe no child will be left behind again,” he said.
Civil society organizations tracking budget implementation have also commended the transparency with which the funds are being handled. The Gombe State Committee on Food and Nutrition confirmed that the release followed due process and that independent monitors will track the supply chain from procurement to last-mile delivery.
As Nigeria continues its push toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) and the national target of reducing stunting to 18% by 2030, states like Gombe that are willing to put their own resources on the table serve as models for others to emulate. The ₦500 million matching grant announced today is more than just money; it is a powerful statement of political will and compassionate governance that places the survival and thriving of the youngest citizens at the very top of the development agenda.
With this latest intervention, thousands of children who might otherwise have faced irreversible physical and cognitive impairment—or even death—now stand a real chance of full recovery and a brighter future. For the people of Gombe State, and indeed for child survival advocates across Nigeria, it is proof that when leadership, partnership, and evidence-based solutions align, remarkable progress is not only possible but inevitable.
