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Economy

Government Boosts Nutrition With N400 Million Fund In Kaduna

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Kaduna State Government

Government Boosts Nutrition With N400 Million Fund In Kaduna

Government boosts nutrition with N400 million fund in Kaduna. The Kaduna government has approved N400 million to complement UNICEF’s support, with all funds directed at combating malnutrition.

The Kaduna government has approved N400 million to complement UNICEF’s support, with all funds directed at combating malnutrition.

The Kaduna State Committee on Food and Nutrition chairman, Bashir Muhammad, disclosed this during a breakfast meeting with key stakeholders on Thursday.

The meeting focused on adopting the Child Nutrition Fund and implementing six-month paid maternity leave in Kaduna State.

It was supported by UNICEF and the Civil Society Scaling-Up Nutrition in Nigeria.

Mr Muhammad stated that stunting and wasting among children have significantly reduced due to the government’s interventions on nutrition and health.

He explained that the meeting aimed to advocate and sensitise stakeholders on strategies to reduce malnutrition and improve nutrition for children and women.

He added that legalising relevant policies, including the six-month paid maternity leave already practised in Kaduna, would ensure smooth policy implementation across the state.

Mr Muhammad also noted that crèches are crucial for improving child nutrition, citing the Planning and Budget Commission’s crèche as a positive example.

According to him, when mothers return to work, crèches provide a comfortable space for children to be nursed, supporting better nutrition.

He called for more crèches, particularly in the state secretariat, health ministry, public works ministry, and the Kaduna State University.

“We aim to encourage nursing mothers at workplaces, thereby reducing malnutrition levels across the state,” he added.

Jessica Bartholomew, CS-SUNN’s coordinator in Kaduna, said the purpose of the meeting was to unlock more resources for nutrition funding.

She said CS-SUNN has worked to improve nutrition financing and deemed it vital to bring stakeholders together for updates on funding gaps and needs.

“Gov. Uba Sani’s N400 million child nutrition matching grant is among Nigeria’s highest, reflecting his dedication,” she said.

Kaduna State Government

Kaduna State Government

She added that plans are underway to establish a nutrition department in primary health care and within the Planning and Budget Commission.

In a goodwill message, UNICEF’s nutrition specialist, Chinwe Ezeife, said UNICEF supports Kaduna’s efforts through multiple nutrition-related initiatives.

She highlighted the importance of prevention, integration, and scaling up services to address malnutrition in Kaduna effectively.

Ms Ezeife said UNICEF was collaborating with government bodies, civil society, and stakeholders to legalise and enforce nutrition policies.

Crime

NAFDAC Seals 4 Water Factories Over Poor Manufacturing Practices

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NAFDAC

NAFDAC Seals 4 Water Factories Over Poor Manufacturing Practices

NAFDAC seals 4 water factories over poor manufacturing practices. She warned producers in the area to be cautious of producing substandard products.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)  has invited the operation managers of four table water production factories for failing to meet good manufacturing practice (GMP) standards.

The factories in question include Oral Water and Logistics Limited, producers of Yireh Yaweh Table Water in Jikwoyi, and Le-Starlight Table Water in Jikwoyi, Abuja.

Others include Daraja Table Water and Iris Table Water and Beverages, producers of Siris Table Water, both located in the Karshi, Nasarawa axis of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

During its enforcement operations in Abuja on Monday, NAFDAC also sealed and locked the four factories in question.

Wilberforce-Glory Albert, the subunit head of NAFDAC’s Mararaba Office, also known as Greater FCT, explained that the agency initiated the raid due to concerns over the quality of water produced by these factories.

She stated that all the facilities sealed had poor GMP practices, necessitating immediate action to rectify the situation.

Mrs Albert pointed out that several of these factories lacked pallets for stacking their finished products, and some did not have a production manager to ensure GMP compliance.

She also highlighted that some facilities were operating without licenses, lacked proper packaging materials, had no building lights, and had staff that were not properly kitted, all of which contributed to the poor GMP.

“These are the reasons we sealed the facilities and invited them for further investigation at NAFDAC’s office,” Mrs Albert said.

She further disclosed that the raid in this area marked the beginning of broader enforcement actions, as NAFDAC had established a new office to oversee Mararaba, Keffi, Nyanya, Jikwoyi, and Kurudu.

NAFDAC

NAFDAC

“This new office falls under the FCT Directorate and is known as “Greater FCT.”
Mrs Albert warned producers in the area to be cautious of producing substandard products, emphasising that the law would catch up with those who continued to operate improperly.

“This raid will continue. We’ve just started, and we won’t stop until these factories comply with GMP standards.

“There is no hiding place for producers of substandard products, everyone must do the right thing, obtain the necessary licenses, and produce under proper conditions,” she stated.

Mrs Albert also revealed that some of the sealed facilities claimed to be registered with NAFDAC but were unable to provide the required documentation, which was another reason for their invitation to the agency.
She urged them to bring all relevant documents to NAFDAC’s office.

The NAFDAC team leader added that the factories would be required to pay for any sanctions imposed by the agency.

“If their licenses had expired, they would also need to pay for renewals and investigation charges.”

NAFDAC emphasised its commitment to investigating and taking action against any other illegal activities being carried out by these factories.

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Economy

Governor Soludo Awards N500,000 To NECO’s Best Student

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NECO

Governor Soludo Awards N500,000 To NECO’s Best Student

Governor Soludo awards N500,000 to NECO’s best student. Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has awarded a cheque of N500,000 to Miss Ifebude Benson, the overall best candidate in the 2023 Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination conducted by the National Examination Council (NECO).

The state’s Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, presented the award on behalf of the governor to Ifebude’s father, Mr. Ben Benson, on Sunday in Awka.

Chuma-Udeh stated that the gesture was aimed at promoting academic excellence among students in Anambra, highlighting the government’s investment in education to align with global standards.

Soludo

Governor Soludo

Ifebude, a native of Ndikelionwu in Orumba North Local Government Area, achieved A1 in all nine subjects she took in the examination. She is currently studying Medicine and Surgery at the University of Abuja.

Expressing gratitude, her father, Benson, praised Soludo for the recognition, describing him as a leader who values hard work and academic excellence.

He noted that the award would further inspire his daughter to excel and positively represent the state.

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Crime

EFCC Sets To Prosecute 2 Women For Alleged Naira Hawking In Lagos

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EFCC Probes Man

EFCC Sets To Prosecute 2 Women For Alleged Naira Hawking In Lagos

EFCC sets to prosecute 2 women for alleged naira hawking in Lagos. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is set to prosecute two women arrested on Friday for allegedly hawking naira notes.

“Operatives of the Lagos Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have arrested two suspects for their alleged involvement in Naira abuse,” said EFCC in a statement on Monday.

EFCC Probes Man

EFCC Sets To Prosecute 2 Women

The agency said the suspects are “Adeoti Folake and Adewuyi Modupe were apprehended in Lagos on Friday, March 21, 2025 while allegedly hawking Naira notes.”

The anti graft agency stated that they recovered the sum of N3,850.000 and N1,600.000 from the suspects, respectively.

“The suspects will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations,” the statement said.

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