By Chris Nyamtu
The Wife of the Nasarawa State Governor, Hajiya Silifat Abdullahi Sule, alongside eleven other distinguished individuals, has been decorated as a Nutrition Champion in recognition of her resilience and unwavering commitment to programmes aimed at combating malnutrition and anaemia among pregnant women.
The honour was conferred during the Women in Power Conference 2026: Championing Women and Girls’ Nutrition for Sustainable Development, organised by the Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN).
Speaking at the event, Hajiya Silifat Abdullahi Sule stressed the need for intensified advocacy, sustained funding, and result-oriented collaboration among stakeholders to address the persistent challenges of malnutrition and anaemia among pregnant women in Nasarawa State.
She called on governments at all levels to eliminate barriers and bureaucratic bottlenecks that hinder effective nutrition interventions, while also increasing budgetary allocations to programmes designed to improve maternal and child health.
According to her, prioritising nutrition and healthcare is critical to securing a healthier future for children and communities.
“We must draw a clear line between politics and the health of our children. There is a need for deliberate policies that prioritise hygiene, nutrition, and healthy living among pregnant women in Nasarawa State,” she stated.
Representing the Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria, Mrs. Ajah Robinson, while decorating the First Lady as a Nutrition Champion, noted that progressive societies across the world are increasingly directing resources toward ensuring women, children, and vulnerable groups have access to adequate nutrition.
She identified women’s empowerment through agriculture, entrepreneurship, and skills acquisition as key strategies for enhancing self-reliance and reducing the prevalence of anaemia and other nutrition-related deficiencies.
Mrs. Robinson commended Hajiya Silifat Abdullahi Sule for her outstanding contributions to the wellbeing of women, children, and vulnerable persons through her pet project, the Hajiya Silifat Abdullahi Sule Foundation.
She further urged the newly decorated Nutrition Champions to intensify advocacy, community mobilisation, and awareness campaigns aimed at achieving a society free from malnutrition.
Among those honoured as Nutrition Champions were the Head of the Nasarawa State Civil Service, Abigail Waya; the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Humanitarian Services, Mrs. Hauwa Jugbo; and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Hajiya Khadijat Suleiman, among others.
The Nutrition Champions are expected to spearhead initiatives that improve household livelihoods, strengthen economic opportunities for families, promote market and agricultural linkages, and support programmes that advance the welfare and development of women and vulnerable groups across the state. (Radio Nigeria).
