Malnutrition: Gombe produces food for malnourished children

The Gombe State Government said it is producing complimentary food for treatment for 22,000 malnourished children across the 11 local government areas of the state. 

The  Commissioner for Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Aisha Umar Maigari, disclosed this during the inauguration of Intellectual Property Technology Transfer Office (IPTTO) established by the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), at the Gombe State University (GSU). 

She said the state government kicked off the programme in the state capital in 2021, adding that Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has approved its extension to the 11 LGAs to produce the foods for at least 2,000 children. 

“The programme is targeting over 22,000 children and we have registered with the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC). We have passed all the stages and we are now waiting for the NAFDAC number,” the commissioner said. 

Dr Maigari added that after obtaining the NAFDAC registration, the product would become an intellectual property of the state government which can be subsequently produced in large quantities for sale outside the state. 

Earlier, the Director-General of NOTAP, Dr Dan-Azumi Ibrahim, urged researchers and inventors to protect their respective intellectual assets from theft. 

He explained that the essence of establishing the IPTTO office at the GSU, was to sensitize and support researchers, innovators and inventors in patenting their intellectual innovations. 

The Vice-Chancellor of GSU, Professor Aliyu Usman El-Nafaty, said the academia has lost a lot to intellectual theft, due to lack of deliberate attempt in harnessing talents. 

“We hope that the establishment of this office is going to make a lot of difference, in terms of collating the talents and promoting them in such a way that they can be put to the industry that we can all benefit from them,” he said.