The United Nations Children’s Fund on Monday handed over 11,580 cartons of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food to the Gombe State Government.

The consignment is meant to support the treatment of children suffering from acute malnutrition.

The Chief of UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, Dr Nuzhat Rafique, disclosed this during the handing-over ceremony, where she commended the state government for providing N500m as counterpart funding for nutrition interventions in 2025.

Rafique said the state’s contribution was matched with an equal amount through the Child Nutrition Fund, facilitating the procurement of essential nutrition supplies for vulnerable children.

She said the consignment contained millions of sachets of RUTF, a specialised therapeutic food used in treating children with severe acute malnutrition.

She stressed the need for proper distribution and monitoring to ensure that the supplies reached the children for whom they were intended.

“RUTF is specifically meant for children suffering from severe acute malnutrition and should not be used as regular food,” Rafique said.

She urged community-based groups, including Mama2Mama and Fathers for Good Health, to intensify public awareness about the proper use of the therapeutic food.

The UNICEF official also emphasised that children undergoing treatment must complete the prescribed course without interruption, urging parents and caregivers to follow instructions from health workers.

According to her, adherence to treatment protocols is essential to achieving the desired nutritional and health outcomes.

Rafique further commended the state government for establishing a committee to prevent the diversion, abuse and misuse of aid supplies.

She called for effective monitoring and accountability mechanisms to ensure that the therapeutic food was not diverted from its intended beneficiaries.

The Gombe State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Prof Bertha Abdu, appreciated UNICEF for its sustained support for the state, particularly interventions aimed at improving the welfare of women and children.

Abdu said adequate nutrition was fundamental to children’s growth and development, warning that nutritional deficiencies during childhood could result in serious health and developmental challenges.

She stressed the importance of sustained investment in nutrition programmes to safeguard the wellbeing of children.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Science, Technology and Innovation, Habu Dahiru, said raising children who were physically healthy and mentally sound was critical to the state’s future development.

He described RUTF as an important intervention in the treatment of severe acute malnutrition, adding that the state government was complementing UNICEF’s efforts through the local production of nutrient-rich food.

Dahiru disclosed that the ministry had scaled up production of the locally developed nutritious food and was collaborating with the North-East Development Commission to expand the production facility to serve Gombe and neighbouring states.

He said the ministry was ready to work with UNICEF and other development partners to increase production, particularly to support efforts to address moderate malnutrition.

“We are ready to collaborate with UNICEF and other development partners to expand the production of locally made nutritious food and strengthen efforts to tackle malnutrition,” Dahiru said.

He assured that the state government would closely monitor the distribution of the donated RUTF to ensure that the supplies reached children requiring treatment.

In his remarks, the state Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Micah Sunday, described UNICEF as a key development partner supporting the state government’s efforts to improve children’s wellbeing and development.

Sunday said tackling malnutrition would improve not only children’s physical health but also their brain development, educational outcomes and overall wellbeing.

He added that adequate nutrition was essential to raising healthy and productive citizens capable of contributing meaningfully to society.

The donation is expected to strengthen Gombe State’s response to severe acute malnutrition and improve access to life-saving nutritional treatment for vulnerable children across the state.

Source: punchng.com

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Nigeria’s passport has again plunged from 90th position in July 2026 to 181st out of 196 countries in the latest IziVisa Passport Ranking Index, reflecting a significant decline in the number of destinations Nigerian passport holders can access without obtaining a visa in advance.

According to data published on IziVisa.com, Nigerian passport holders can travel to 24 countries visa-free, obtain visas on arrival in 16 countries, and access 43 countries through electronic visas.

The latest ranking represents a sharp drop from the 90th position Nigeria occupied in July 2026, when its passport provided visa-free access to 44 destinations.

The decline in the visa-free score from 44 to 24 destinations highlights the difference between the two reported rankings and the reduced number of countries Nigerians can visit without prior visa approval.

In a statement on its website, IziVisa explained that passports are ranked according to the number of destinations their holders can access without obtaining a visa beforehand.

The index considers different categories of travel access, including visa-free entry, visas on arrival and electronic visas, which determine the level of international mobility available to passport holders.

The United Arab Emirates leads the 2026 IziVisa ranking, with its passport providing access to 185 of 198 documented destinations through visa-free entry, visas on arrival or electronic visas.

Switzerland occupies second position, with access to 120 destinations without a visa, 26 destinations offering visas on arrival and 37 accessible through electronic visas.

Other countries that featured prominently in the ranking included Luxembourg, Malta, Denmark, Spain and Finland.

IziVisa showed that the difference between passports at the top and bottom of the ranking illustrates the wide disparity in international travel access. The index uses the number of destinations accessible without a prior visa as a measure of what it describes as freedom of movement.

Separately, the July 2026 edition of the Henley Passport Index had placed Nigeria 90th out of 199 passports assessed worldwide, with a visa-free score of 44 destinations.

The ranking, released by Henley & Partners, represented a one-place decline from Nigeria’s 89th position in the April 2026 edition, although its visa-free score remained unchanged at 44 destinations.

According to Henley & Partners, the index marked the organisation’s 20th anniversary and assessed 199 passports against 227 travel destinations using data from the International Air Transport Association.

Among African countries, South Africa ranked 49th globally, with visa-free access to 101 destinations. Botswana followed in 61st position with access to 81 destinations, while Morocco ranked 67th with 71 destinations.

Kenya occupied 68th position with access to 70 destinations, while Ghana ranked 70th with a visa-free score of 67.

Nigeria ranked alongside the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Turkmenistan, with each passport providing visa-free access to 44 destinations.

The reported IziVisa ranking marks a substantial difference from Nigeria’s July position in the Henley index. However, the two indices use separate methodologies and coverage, meaning their rankings should not be treated as directly equivalent.

Source: punchng.com

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