From Muawuya Bala Idris
The Katsina State Government has deployed enumerators to all 34 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state to conduct the 2026 SMART Nutrition Survey, aimed at generating reliable data to guide health and nutrition policies and interventions.
The exercise is expected to provide updated information on the nutritional status of children, women and vulnerable households, helping the government and development partners identify areas of need and better target interventions.
The enumerators underwent a five-day training programme before being deployed to the various LGAs to collect data in accordance with the approved SMART methodology.
The state Commissioner for Health, Hon. Musa Adamu Funtua, inspected the enumerators while they were conducting the survey in Katsina Local Government Area, where he assessed the progress of the field exercise.
Funtua stressed the importance of accurate and credible data in effective health planning, saying the findings would assist the government in identifying nutritional challenges and developing appropriate interventions to improve the well-being of the people.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the Katsina State Government to strengthening the health and nutrition sector through evidence-based policies and programmes, particularly those targeting children, women and other vulnerable groups.
Funtua also emphasised the importance of collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other development partners in addressing malnutrition and improving health outcomes across the state.
Receiving the Commissioner during the inspection, the Statistician-General of Katsina State, Professor Saifullahi Sani Matazu, briefed him on the progress of the survey and the activities of the field teams.
Professor Matazu explained that the exercise was designed to generate credible and timely statistics to support effective decision-making, resource allocation and the planning of health and nutrition interventions.
He urged the enumerators to maintain professionalism and accuracy and strictly adhere to approved procedures, noting that the quality of the data generated would determine the usefulness of the survey findings.
The 2026 SMART Nutrition Survey covers all 34 LGAs of Katsina State and is being implemented by the Katsina State Bureau of Statistics in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, UNICEF and other development partners.
The survey will assess key nutrition indicators, including wasting, stunting and underweight among children aged 0 to 59 months.
It will also examine maternal nutrition, infant and young child feeding practices, childhood morbidity and mortality, health-seeking behaviour, and household water, sanitation and hygiene conditions.
UNICEF has commended the Katsina State Government for its commitment to generating reliable nutrition data and supporting evidence-based interventions. The organisation also reaffirmed its readiness to support the state in implementing the SMART survey.
The partnership reflects the state government’s broader commitment to strengthening nutrition surveillance and ensuring that policies and interventions are based on credible evidence.
The findings of the survey are expected to provide an important basis for improving nutrition programmes, directing resources to vulnerable communities and strengthening healthcare interventions across Katsina State.
