Akwa Ibom State Government has restated its commitment to tackling malnutrition and improving the health of women and children through strengthened partnerships with development organizations.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ekem Emmanuel John, stated this at the year 1 results sharing of the Transforming Lives Through Nutrition project implemented by three consortium of partners: Helen Keller Int’l, Vitamin Angels, and International Development Enterprises (IDE), with grant from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The event, held on August 22, 2025, at CEEDAPEG Hotels, Ewet Housing Estate, Uyo, featured the presentation of the first-year scorecard of the Transforming Lives Through Nutrition Project.
Dr. John commended Helen Keller Int’l, Vitamin Angels and other partners for the transformative and remarkable work of the programme in Akwa Ibom, stressing that Governor Umo Eno remained deliberate and intentional in providing solutions to the state’s nutrition challenges.
He lauded the transparent selection process for agricultural grants under the AgriCare programme, noting that the governor insisted on open portals for recruitment and procurement so that “sons of nobodies” could benefit without political interference.
The Commissioner also appreciated Helen Keller Int’l for offering to sponsor the Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH) Week in the state and for providing multiple micronutrient supplements for pregnant women free of charge.
He, therefore, called for financial literacy for women, the creation of a database of nutrition garden owners, a digital reporting platform to track results, and stronger collaboration among implementing partners so that the governor would be fully informed of their interventions.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Director of Public Health in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Etop Antia, had underscored the importance of nutrition and presented the project’s scorecard.
Antia commended the contributions of government and partners to improving health outcomes, and called for stronger collaboration to consolidate gains.
Dr. Antia emphasised that government remains conscious of the role of health, agriculture, and primary healthcare in boosting development, citing the establishment of a state-of-the-art emergency response system.
He encouraged all stakeholders to play their part, noting that “together, we will succeed.”
The Country Director of Helen Keller Int’l, Mr Aliyu Mohammed applauded the state government for its commitment to the welfare of its people.
He revealed plans to expand the Transforming Lives Through Nutrition Project beyond the five local government areas of Mbo, Eket, Ikot Ekpene, Itu, and Ibiono Ibom where it is already operational.
He pledged support for the MNCH Week Nov/Dec 2025 and May/June 2026, highlighted additional nutrition interventions coming to the state such as screening for malnutrition, requesting the establishment of treatment centers across the state where children identified to be malnourished can easily access free care services.
Giving an overview of the initiative, the Program Manager of Transforming Lives Through Nutrition, Mr. Michael Daniel, stated that the project aligns with the ARISE Agenda of the state government.
Daniel explained that the goal is to improve maternal and child health through proven interventions and to strengthen systems so that results are owned, amplified, and sustained. He listed key interventions, including multiple micronutrient supplementation, exclusive breastfeeding campaigns, VAS+D, WASH sensitization, Agriculture Promotion.
He further outlined some of the project activities and achievements to include training of 63 health workers and 63 agricultural extension workers, provision of agricultural seeds and tools to 848 project beneficiaries for the establishment of home gardens, demonstration of healthy meal preparation, distribution of 10, 176 one-off hygiene kits comprising of sanitary pads, buckets, 850g detergents, 250g bar soaps, nail cutters, toothbrush for adults and children, toothpaste, potty and cups benefited by 4,513 household members and the distribution of 13,491 bars of multipurpose soap during monthly support group meetings to promote hygiene .
Speaking for the project beneficiaries, Mrs. Hannah Uduak Jonah from Mbo Local Government Area, shared testimonies of how the project had transformed their lives.
She thanked Helen Keller Int’l for restoring hope to their families, and narrated how the intervention had enabled her to contribute to paying household bills after losing her business capital during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event also featured goodwill messages from the office of the Statistician General of the state, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Director of Public Health, representatives of CCCRN, and other partners. They all commended the initiative and pledged continued collaboration to strengthen nutrition and health outcomes in the state.
Reported by Catherine Etukudo
