By Emmanuel Uffot
The Aliko Dangote Foundation Integrated Nutrition (ADFIN) Project, an arm of Aliko Dangote Foundation of Dangote Group, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU with Kano State government to check the prevalence of malnutrition sapecifically among children in the state.
The event took place at the ECA Unit of Abdullahi Wase hospital in Kano on Wednesday August 31.
Speaking at the official signing of the MoU, The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Aliko Dangote Foundation, Zouera Yousufou, said the foundation is worried about the prevalence malnutrition especially among children in the state, hence the decision to intervene to curb the worrisome trend. According to her, the foundation had already done some remarkable intervention in that direction through its support in the feeding programme by Hajiya Mariya Dantata, where about 30,000 meals are distributed daily. She also stated that the foundation’s commitment towards 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 N50million to procure Ready To Use Therapeutic Food, RUTF for treatment of children with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) in the state.
The MD/CEO said the RUTF will be produced by a company based in Kano and the Foundation will ensure that the intervention reach each household of the vulnerable children.
She further explained that “the primary focus of Aliko Dangote Foundation Integration foundation is nutrition which wraps around interventions in health, education and empowerment. Based on this, we are now making unprecedented investment to improve nutrition in our country. We intend to treat children with Severe Acute Malnutrition, SAM using RUTF which was produced right here in Kano by a sister company. We will reach each household of these children with food nutrition. To do this, we have trained the first cohort of Community Active Mobilisers, CAM who will help identify the vulnerable children and refer them for treatment”.
“ADFIN programme was designed to start in Kano State with plans to extend to the 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. We however solicit for other partners with expertise to join hands with us to achieve a robust and sustainable solutions”.
In his remarks, the Kano State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa commended the business mogul, Aliko Dangote and his foundation for investing heavily towards improving the health and well-being of people of the state. He assured the foundation of Kano state government commitment and readiness to support towards achieving the desired goal of reversing the nutrition indices of the state.
Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) is the private charitable foundation of Aliko Dangote. Incorporated in 1994, as Dangote Foundation, with the mission to enhance opportunities for social change through strategic investments that improve health and wellbeing, promote quality education, and broaden economic empowerment opportunities. The Foundation has become the largest private Foundation in sub-Saharan Africa with intervention in health, education and humanitarian relief among others.
