UNICEF, Donors Donate 4,290 Cartons of SQLNS Food Supplement to Adamawa Government
From Umar Dankano, Yola
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Adamawa State Government, in collaboration with other donors, have procured 4,290 cartons of SQLNS food supplement to prevent undernutrition among children.
Nuzhat Rafique, Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Bauchi, disclosed this during the official handover of the supplement to the Adamawa State Government in Yola on Wednesday. She emphasized that SQLNS is designed primarily to prevent undernutrition and improve child survival, growth, and development.
Rafique explained that SQLNS addresses stunting, wasting, and anemia, containing 23 essential minerals and vitamins in addition to protein and energy. She commended the Adamawa State Government for its exemplary leadership in nutrition and health through consistent funding, service delivery, and policy implementation.
She further stated that the Child Nutrition Match Fund, supported by a mix of donors including the Government of the United Kingdom, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is managed by UNICEF.
“This is a unique match-funding instrument where UNICEF and its partners match government financing for essential nutrition commodities on a 1:1 ratio, enabling governments to double their investment in nutrition initiatives to scale up policies, programs, and early malnutrition interventions.
“Adamawa State was one of the first adopters of the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF) in Nigeria. In 2023, the state contributed N100 million, which UNICEF matched, demonstrating its commitment to nutrition and health initiatives.
“Malnutrition remains a major concern in Nigeria, with Adamawa State having a malnutrition rate of 48.6%, leading to stunting among children. Additionally, 7% of children suffer from wasting, 36% of pregnant women are anemic, and over 80% of children experience food poverty due to limited dietary diversity.
“We urge the government to increase its investment in 2025, which UNICEF will match to procure more commodities through CNF. We also encourage the government to conduct two rounds of Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health Weeks (MNCHWs) in 2025 and ensure adequate deworming tablets for all children aged 12-59 months.
“Furthermore, we appeal for the approval of six months of paid parental leave in the state to protect infant health and nutrition while promoting exclusive breastfeeding,” Rafique stated.
Responding on behalf of the Adamawa State Government, Commissioner for Health and Human Development, Chief Felix Tangwami, expressed gratitude to UNICEF and its partners for their continued humanitarian interventions.
Tangwami described the assistance as “timely and welcome,” stressing that child undernutrition, if left unaddressed, could lead to significant societal challenges.
Accompanied by top government officials, Tangwami announced that 85,000 children across the 21 local government areas of the state would benefit from the SQLNS supplements.
He further revealed that the Adamawa State Government had released N300 million as a matching grant, with UNICEF contributing an equivalent amount, bringing the total investment to N600 million for the initiative.
The Commissioner assured that the supplements would be distributed transparently and effectively to achieve the desired impact.
