At first glance, seven-month-old Adamu appears calm as he lies quietly on a narrow hospital bed at the Federal Medical Centre, Kumo, Gombe State. But beneath that stillness, the infant is battling severe acute malnutrition. Weighing just 2.9 kilograms, Adamu’s condition reflects a crisis that continues to threaten the lives of thousands of children across the state.
His mother, Aisha Gambo, said her son was born healthy, but his condition deteriorated suddenly at four months. “We clocked seven months recently, and he was fine until he fell ill. We were referred from Kaltungo to Kumo, where he was placed on a special diet. We are trying our best, but it is painful that we did not get it right earlier,” she said.
While cases like Adamu’s remain common, a quiet shift is taking place in some rural communities of Gombe, where mothers are increasingly turning to orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (OFSP) to improve their children’s nutrition and survival chances.
For 21-year-old Sandra Bala, her daughter’s improved health followed the introduction of complementary feeding after six months of exclusive breastfeeding. “Since I introduced my baby to complementary feeding, she has not fallen sick again. I have no regrets,” she said.
Her experience mirrors a growing trend in Kalorgu, a farming community in Kaltungo Local Government Area, where OFSP cultivation and consumption are transforming household nutrition. Rich in Vitamin A and easy to integrate into local diets, the crop is proving to be a practical solution to micronutrient deficiencies.
Aisha Muhammed Aliyu, a young mother in Kalorgu, said her child suffered persistent eye problems from birth until she began feeding him OFSP regularly. “I fry it, boil it, or dry it and make gruel. After consistent feeding, the eye problem disappeared,” she said.
Another resident, popularly known as Mommy Abubakar, said her child’s growth improved significantly after the introduction of OFSP. “He became stronger, more active, and healthier,” she noted.
Beyond health benefits, the crop is also providing economic relief. Amina Isa, a mother of three, said selling OFSP tubers, vines and leaves now supplements her family income. “We eat it, and I sell the rest. It helps our nutrition and our finances,” she said.
The growing adoption of OFSP is supported by the Progressing Action on Resilient Systems for Nutrition through Innovation and Partnership (PARSNIP) initiative, implemented by UNICEF in collaboration with the Gombe State Government and funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
UNICEF Nutrition Specialist, Philomena Irene, said the initiative focuses on strengthening infant and young child feeding practices, early detection of malnutrition and community-based prevention. Between 2023 and 2025, she said over 106,000 children received Small Quantity Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements, while more than 20,000 caregivers were trained on early detection and proper feeding practices.
The state government is also addressing severe cases. In January, it procured 5,830 cartons of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food to treat over 6,500 malnourished children. UNICEF’s Bauchi Field Office Chief, Dr Nuzhat Rafique, said Gombe’s ₦175m contribution, matched by UNICEF, enabled the procurement of the life-saving supplies.
Gombe State Nutrition Officer, Mohammed Bawa, said introducing OFSP was a deliberate, evidence-based strategy. “Women are trained to cultivate, process and sell the potatoes. It strengthens nutrition and brings income into households,” he said.
Health experts, however, warn that malnutrition remains a major emergency in the state. A consultant paediatric gastroenterologist at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe, Dr Ebisike Kelechi, said malnutrition accounts for about 45 per cent of deaths among children under five.
“Exclusive breastfeeding rates are still low, poverty and food insecurity are widespread, and poor hygiene leads to recurrent infections,” he said, adding that ignorance and weak health-seeking behaviour worsen the situation.
Despite challenges such as inconsistent supplies and understaffed primary health centres, stakeholders insist that sustained education, food security interventions and stronger health systems can reverse the trend.
As mothers in communities like Kalorgu continue to embrace OFSP, health workers say the simple crop offers a powerful reminder that locally driven, nutrition-sensitive solutions can save lives—if they are scaled up and sustained.
