The Aliko Dangote Foundation Integrated Nutrition (ADFIN) Project has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Kano State government to check the prevalence of malnutrition in the state.
The event took place at ECA Unit of Abdullahi Wase hospital in Kano on Wednesday, a statement by the foundation said on Thursday.
Speaking before the official signing of the MoU, The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Aliko Dangote Foundation, Zouera Yousufou said the foundation is worried about the prevalence of malnutrition, especially among children in the state.
She said the foundation had already supported the feeding programme by Hajiya Mariya Dantata, where about 30,000 meals are distributed daily.
She also stated that part of the foundation’s commitment to checking malnutrition is the distribution of 20,000 loaves of bread daily in Kano, and 10,000 in Lagos.
She explained that part of the signing of the MoU is the commitment of over N50 million to procure Ready-To-Use Therapeutic Food, RUTF for the treatment of children with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) in the state.
Ms Yousufou said the RUTF will be produced by a company based in Kano and to reach each household of vulnerable children with its intervention.
She said, “The primary focus of Aliko Dangote Foundation is nutrition which wraps around interventions on health, education and empowerment.
“Based on this, we are now making unprecedented investments to improve nutrition in our country.
“The ADFIN programme was designed to start in Kano State with plans to extend to 13 Northern states. The programme was to take off in 13 out of the 44 LGAs in Kano State.
“We need to end this scourge of malnutrition and the signing of this MoU takes us close to achieving the goal.”
In his remarks, the Kano State Commissioner of Health, Dr Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa, commended Dangote and his foundation for investing heavily in improving the health and well-being of the people of the state.