A decisive move to tackle the state’s growing malnutrition crisis, Governor Malam Dikko Umaru Radda has inaugurated a 15-member Special Committee, pledging urgent and comprehensive action to save lives and address root causes.
The inauguration ceremony, held at the Muhammadu Buhari Government House and chaired physically by Deputy Governor Malam Faruq Lawal Jobe, HCIB—representing Governor Radda, who joined virtually—comes in response to a recent Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) report highlighting the severity of the challenge in Katsina State.
Governor Radda described the report as a “wake-up call,” admitting that malnutrition is a reality that cannot be ignored. “We must act to ensure every child survives, receives education and healthcare, and enjoys the basic infrastructure for a better life,” he said, recalling his own disturbing visit to an MSF centre in July.
The committee—chaired by Dr. Ahmed Abdullahi Filin-Samji of the Zakkat & Waqaf Board and co-chaired by Civil Society leader Abdulrahman Abdullahi—will review the MSF findings, pinpoint the hardest-hit communities, identify vulnerable households, and guide the distribution of government grain reserves.
Governor Radda stressed that immediate food relief must go hand in hand with long-term solutions, including tackling insecurity, boosting food production, and addressing harmful marital practices such as the abandonment of children after divorce. “The earlier we tell ourselves the uncomfortable truth, the better,” he warned.
The committee, which draws members from government agencies, civil society, religious groups, traditional institutions, and development partners, has two weeks to submit its recommendations.
Deputy Governor Jobe pledged the administration’s full support, assuring that no community would be left behind. “This committee’s work will be crucial in guiding government’s response,” he said.
With Katsina’s food reserves ready for distribution, the administration says it is determined to act swiftly—turning reports into relief and policies into lasting change.