The Katsina State Government has launched two stabilisation centres in Daura and Baure, alongside 60 Outpatient Therapeutic Programme (OTP) sites spread across 12 local government areas, to combat severe acute malnutrition in children. Governor Dikko Radda announced the development on Sunday in Baure, stating the facilities would offer free treatment and improve access to care in underserved communities. The OTP sites are located in Funtua, Danja, Malumfashi, Ingawa and other councils, with a focus on early detection and community-based management of malnutrition. Radda warned that Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) must not be diverted or sold, stressing that a mobile court has been approved to prosecute offenders without exception.
Dr Lawal Rabe, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, revealed the state had committed ₦700 million as counterpart funding for the Accelerated Nutrition Results in Nigeria programme. He noted that several primary healthcare centres are being upgraded to general hospitals. Ruqayya Hamza, Chairperson of the State Nutrition Committee, said over 600 community volunteers and 300 health workers have been trained to support the initiative. She confirmed the 60 outpatient sites were strategically placed in underserved areas to boost early intervention. Saminu Sulaiman, Chairman of Baure Local Government, said the new centres would reduce residents' reliance on medical services in Niger Republic.
Governor Dikko Radda's zero-tolerance stance on the diversion of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food stands out in a landscape where public health supplies often vanish into private markets. By authorising a mobile court to prosecute offenders, he is attempting to break a cycle of impunity that has long undermined nutrition interventions in northern Nigeria.
The allocation of ₦700 million in state funds for the Accelerated Nutrition Results in Nigeria programme signals a rare level of fiscal commitment to health at the subnational level. This comes against a backdrop of chronic underfunding of primary healthcare and widespread malnutrition in the region, where families frequently cross into Niger Republic for basic treatment. The training of 600 community volunteers and 300 health workers reflects an effort to embed sustainability in service delivery.
For residents of Baure, Daura and other underserved councils, the new centres could mean the difference between life and death for malnourished children who previously faced long, costly journeys for care. Access to free, localised treatment reduces both financial strain and treatment delays, particularly for poor rural households.
This move fits into a broader shift among some northern governors to prioritise health and nutrition as governance benchmarks, not just donor-driven projects. If accountability holds, Katsina's model may influence how other states manage sensitive health interventions.
