Kogi Emerges Best in World Bank’s ANRiN Project
Kogi State has emerged the Best Performing State in the World Bank-supported Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) project, outshining 10 other states assessed for the project’s Community-Based Nutrition Service Delivery.
The state government received the Certificate of Achievement as Best Performing State: Community-Based Nutrition Service Delivery (NSA Performance +DLI) at the 6th ANRiN Implementation Support event, in Abuja.
ANRiN project aims at increasing the utilisation of quality, cost-effective nutrition services for pregnant and lactating women, adolescent girls and children to reduce illnesses and enhance their overall well-being.
Kogi, Abia, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Oyo, Plateau, and Katsina states were assessed.
Drivers of the project, who are non-state actors recruited through the World Bank’s procurement processes, noted that participating states, through the provision of basic health needs, including deworming for children (12 to 59 months), IFA (Iron+Folic Acid) supplementation for pregnant women, malaria care for pregnant women, among others, would be able to reduce infant and maternal mortality drastically.
Kogi State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Zakari Usman, who spoke to the media on this feat in the health sector, said owing to the high performance in giving basic nutrition services to women and children, the nutrition indices of Kogi women and children were expected to increase greatly and illnesses reduce drastically.
He said: “Bello paid the commitment fund, every year, up to date. There was effective sensitisation of beneficiaries, diligent supervision and monitoring by the PIU, Community ownership of the project by Kogites and excellent managerial ability by the Commissioner for Health.
“The implication of this feat on the Kogi health sector is that the nutrition indices of women and children will increase greatly; illnesses will be reduced and it will also cause increased GDP and functional population. There will also be reduced maternal and infant mortality among other positive results.”