A nutrition financing gap in Kaduna state could undermine efforts to reduce child mortality and malnutrition. The Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) reports that the state requires an additional ₦599 billion investment to achieve projected health gains between 2026 and 2030. This investment could help save an estimated 98,894 under-five children in the state over the period.
The investment case presented by CS-SUNN shows that every ₦1 invested in nutrition in Kaduna could generate about ₦5 in economic value. This makes nutrition financing an investment in the state’s future workforce and productivity. The organisation's Communication Manager, Olushola Peters, presented the Domestic Nutrition Financing Media Kit during a media engagement on domestic nutrition financing in Kaduna.
The media kit raises concerns over the implementation of nutrition budgets in the state, noting that budget performance averaged only 42.5 per cent during the period examined. Peters urged journalists to track whether approved funds were actually released and utilised for the programmes for which they were appropriated. He emphasised that the distinction between appropriation, release and utilisation is critical in determining whether government commitments to nutrition are translating into services for women and children.
The media kit warns that delays in financing could affect the procurement of nutrition commodities, community outreach and other time-sensitive interventions. These interventions include Vitamin A supplementation, oral rehydration solution and zinc, breastfeeding promotion and integrated nutrition services through primary healthcare facilities and community platforms.
CS-SUNN calls for stronger monitoring of nutrition commodity stock-outs and greater scrutiny of how much of the nutrition budget reaches communities compared with administrative expenditure. The organisation stresses that domestic government financing must provide a predictable foundation for sustainable nutrition programmes, while development partners should complement rather than replace public investment.
The organisation urges the media to track the entire financing chain—from appropriation and release to expenditure and measurable results—and ask policymakers how much was approved, released and actually spent on nutrition interventions. CS-SUNN also notes that nutrition should not be treated as solely a health-sector issue, given its links with agriculture, education, water and sanitation, social protection, food systems and women’s empowerment.
Inadequate nutrition financing could have consequences beyond child survival, affecting cognitive development, educational outcomes, productivity and the future workforce. The media kit therefore calls for more predictable financing and stronger budget execution to ensure that Kaduna does not lose potential health gains from interventions capable of preventing child deaths and improving nutrition outcomes.
Key points
- Kaduna state requires an additional ₦599 billion investment to achieve projected health gains between 2026 and 2030.
- Every ₦1 invested in nutrition in Kaduna could generate about ₦5 in economic value.
- Budget performance for nutrition in Kaduna averaged only 42.5 per cent during the period examined.
