Malnutrition remains a severe public health and development issue in Africa, causing the deaths of millions of children under the age of five each year.
Nigeria, unfortunately, has emerged as the nation with the highest number of malnourished children in Africa, surpassing even war-torn Sudan, and is now ranked second globally in this tragic development.
Malnutrition is the condition that develops when the body is deprived of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients it needs to maintain healthy tissues and organ function.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reports that approximately 600,000 children in Nigeria suffer from acute malnutrition, with half of these children on the brink of developing severe acute malnutrition, placing them at high risk of death.
This dire situation has made Nigeria the epicenter of child malnutrition on the African continent, according to UNICEF’s chief of the nutrition section, Nemat Hajeebhoy.
Several factors are contributing to this alarming rise in malnutrition in Nigeria. First, widespread food insecurity remains a significant problem, particularly in regions like the North-East, where recurring conflicts and climate-induced challenges have disrupted food production.
Additionally, poverty is rampant, with the World Bank’s Africa’s Pulse report showing that Nigeria accounts for 19% of Sub-Saharan Africa’s extremely poor population.
Many families cannot afford to provide adequate food for their children, and limited access to nutritious foods further exacerbates the problem. Poor maternal health, inadequate breastfeeding practices, and lack of access to clean water and sanitation also play critical roles in this crisis.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has highlighted that Nigeria is home to the highest number of food-insecure people in Africa. This crisis has been worsened by ongoing shortages of essential nutrition and the lack of adequate infrastructure to ensure food security.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has requested $300 million to help address this pressing issue, targeting urgent needs like food insecurity, poor nutrition, and inadequate sanitation.
With the World Bank predicting that even more Nigerians will be pushed into poverty by 2027, the situation is becoming increasingly dire. The Nigerian government must take swift and decisive action to address the root causes of malnutrition and food insecurity.
While international organizations continue to mobilize resources, the government must prioritize sustainable solutions that include improving access to nutritious food, investing in maternal and child healthcare, and enhancing infrastructure for clean water and sanitation. Without immediate and long-term action, Nigeria risks condemning an entire generation to compromised health and a bleak future.