In a renewed effort to combat the growing burden of diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs), the Kano State Ministry of Information has organized a two-day capacity-building workshop for information officers drawn from all 44 Local Government Areas (LGAs) across the state.
The training, themed “Promoting Healthy Dietary Practices and Reducing the Incidence of Diet-Related Non-Communicable Diseases in Kano State,” focused on equipping grassroots communication officers with the tools and knowledge to promote healthier dietary habits and drive behavioral change in their communities.
Speaking at the workshop’s opening, Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Malam Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, emphasized the state government’s commitment to proactive, people-centered healthcare delivery.
He explained that, health promotion begins with effective communication, saying that the state government will continue to invest on information officers as human capital is key to achieving lasting impact.
“We have brought in experienced health experts to train our communication officers on strategies that can improve dietary behavior at the community level,”
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He acknowledged the support of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN) and the Kano State Ministry of Health for their technical and logistical contributions to the success of the program.
In his remarks, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Alhaji Usman Bala, underlined the urgency of addressing diet-related health issues such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity, especially in urban and peri-urban areas.
He pointed out that information officers have a critical role in influencing public attitudes and improving health outcomes.
“As the first line of communication in their respective LGA”
The permanent Secretary noted That the training supports broader public health agenda by integrating nutrition education into community-level information strategies.
Also addressing the participants, the State Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at the Primary Health Care Management Board (PHCMB),Dr Nura Wali stressed the importance of healthy eating as a preventive strategy against chronic diseases.
He warned against the rise in poor dietary habits driven by changing lifestyles and called for sustained community engagement to promote better nutrition practices.
Some of the participants, Arbabatu Sani and Ibrahim Abdullahi described the workshop as timely and impactful.
They added that it has broadened their understanding of how to use strategic messaging to encourage healthier food choices among the public.
The event witnessed a large turnout of information officers highlighting the state’s drive to embed nutrition education into health promotion activities at the grassroots level.
Cov/Khadijah Aliyu
