Kogiflame
Accelerating Nutrition in Nigeria (ANRiN) project has donated goods worth N14 million naira to flood victims in Kogi state.
The Kogi state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Zakari Usman made this known on Thursday during the distribution of the goods to beneficiaries at the premises of the ministry.
The commissioner who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Hajia Falilat Yinka Rasaq noted that the ANRiN project, conceptualized in 2013, was actualized in 2018 and became effective in May, 2019.
He noted that Kogi state is one of the twelve states that is currently operating the project, stressing that it is the largest Nutrition Project in Africa with a loan of 232 million dollars to the states through the Federal Government.
The commissioner said Kogi state is one of the states that benefited from the loan having fulfilled all the required pre-set targets, part of which is to pay the counterpart fund of fifty million naira yearly to support Nutrition in the state for the lig span of the project.
He noted that the Nutrition and Health Survey NNHs 2018 states that Kogi state ranks 22.7% in stunting cases, 10.7% in underweight and 2.2% in overweight.
“Although this Statistics is still the best in North Central, the Governmet of Alhaji Yahaya Bello has found it imperative to improve on the nutritional status of Kogites and hence is fully committed to Nutritional programms in the state and Accelerating Nutrition in Nigeria (ANRiN) project
“The seven Nutritional interventions being anchored by the project are to be delivered through non-state Actors which are recruited through World Bank procurement processes. The state Primary Health Care Development Agency is also expected to deliver on supplimentry of iron and folic acid to pregnant women and supply of anti-malarial,” he said.
The ANRiN project coordinator, Mr. Bolarinwa Oladele while speaking said the goods will be given to all local government areas that were affected by 2012 flood in the state.
He noted that sofar about 2 million people mainly women and children have been reached by ANRiN projects.
He noted that they are also training people on the need to relocate from low land to higher ground when flood approaches.
