Monitoring and Evaluation of Community Nutrition Intervention Outcomes in Yobe State, North East Nigeria

Robust monitoring and evaluation of community nutrition interventions is essential for accountability, learning, and programme course correction, yet systematic evaluation practice remains weak in many North East Nigerian state nutrition programmes. This study assesses the monitoring and evaluation systems of active community nutrition interventions in Yobe State and measures their outcomes against defined performance benchmarks. A programme evaluation design is applied to twelve community-based management of acute malnutrition and blanket supplementary feeding sites in Damaturu, Gujba, and Potiskum local government areas, selected through purposive sampling. Data collection combines facility record audits, structured interviews with programme coordinators and health workers, direct observation of monitoring activities, and beneficiary outcome assessments using MUAC tapes and weight-for-height measurements. An M and E quality scorecard adapted from UNICEF's Programme Quality Assessment Tool is completed for each site, and programme outcomes are compared with SPHERE humanitarian standards. Quantitative data are analysed in SPSS with descriptive analysis and one-sample t-tests. Evidence from the 2022 Cadre Harmonise acute food insecurity analysis indicates that Yobe State regularly records global acute malnutrition rates above the 15 percent emergency threshold, underscoring the need for effective programming and rigorous evaluation. The Results-Based Management framework underpins the evaluation approach. Findings will strengthen Yobe State's nutrition programming accountability to state government and donor agencies. Keywords: monitoring and evaluation, community nutrition, acute malnutrition, Yobe State, North East Nigeria.