The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has raised the alarm over Nigeria’s worsening child nutrition crisis, revealing that a staggering 32 per cent of children under the age of five are malnourished.

his is even as it stated that this  disturbing statistic underscores the urgent need for immediate, coordinated action to address the deep-rooted issues of poverty, food insecurity, and inadequate healthcare plaguing the country.

With millions of young lives at risk of stunted growth, developmental delays, and preventable deaths, UNICEF warns that failure to act swiftly could spell a generational catastrophe.

UNICEF reports that over 12 million Nigerian children are stunted, meaning their growth and brain development have been severely affected by chronic undernutrition. The agency warns that stunted children are less likely to succeed in school, and the damage is often irreversible.

The organisation  called on government at all levels, development partners, and communities to prioritise child nutrition before the crisis spirals further out of control.

LEADERSHIP Sunday writes that in many regions across Nigeria, hunger is quietly robbing children of their childhood. From the remote areas of Zamfara to the conflict-affected communities in Borno, malnutrition continues to take a heavy toll, remaining a silent crisis responsible for 45 percent of deaths among children under five.

Nigeria carries the world’s second highest burden of child stunting, with 32 percent of under-five children suffering from the condition, which hampers both their physical growth and brain development.

According to UNICEF, an estimated 2 million Nigerian children suffer from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) annually, but only 2 out of 10 receive lifesaving treatment. Additionally, 7 percent cent of women of childbearing age experience acute malnutrition, putting both maternal and child health at risk.

The crisis is worst in northern Nigeria, where stunting and wasting rates are highest. Despite interventions, exclusive breastfeeding remains low at just 17 per cent and only 18 per cent of children aged 6 to 23 months receive a minimum acceptable diet.

UNICEF warns that beyond health risks, stunting leads to poor education outcomes and low productivity, potentially costing Nigeria up to 11 per cent of its GDP annually.

It stated that Malnutrition in Nigeria including stunting, wasting, and underweight is reaching critical levels, especially in the northeast.

The BAY states, Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe—are the worst affected. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), an estimated 3.7 million children in the region are malnourished, with thousands suffering from life-threatening wasting and anemia. The crisis is driven by conflict, displacement, and chronic poverty.

UNICEF Chief of Borno Field Office, Dr. Tushar Rane, said  “Children in BAY states are battling escalating levels of malnutrition and they need immediate and holistic response to address this.  Malnutrition is a present threat affecting children who are already dealing with multiple vulnerabilities,” he said.

According to the 2023 Nutrition and Food Security Surveillance report, Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) rates among children under five in the region are alarming: 10.2 percent  in Borno, 8.0 percent  in Yobe, and 4.0 percent in Adamawa. This translates to an estimated 511,807 children suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) every year, many of whom require life-saving interventions.

“Approximately 1.2 million children under five and 206,779 pregnant and lactating women in the states  were at risk of acute malnutrition in 2024 alone,” Dr. Rane said.

But malnutrition is not confined to the northeast. It is spreading, insidiously, across the country. States such as Sokoto, Zamfara, and Katsina are experiencing rising food insecurity, pushing more families into a desperate cycle of hunger and poor health.

The situation has reached alarming levels, with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) revealing it treated more than 300,000 children suffering from acute malnutrition in the first half of 2024 alone, an increase of over 25 per cent compared to the 265,495 cases recorded in 2023.

MSF’s Country Representative in Nigeria, Dr. Simba Tirima, told LEADERSHIP  Sunday that one of the major challenges is the late presentation of children in critical condition. “Children often arrive at our centres too sick, too late,” she lamented.

Dr. Tirima described the worsening situation as catastrophic, highlighting a surge in life-threatening malnutrition cases across seven northern states where the organisation operates. “Malnutrition is worsening, with admissions exceeding past years in all locations. We cannot tackle the overwhelming number of malnourished children in Nigeria alone,” she said.

MSF runs nutrition projects in Borno, Bauchi, Katsina, Kano, Sokoto, Zamfara, and Kebbi states, with 10 inpatient therapeutic feeding centres and over 30 outpatient feeding centres treating children with moderate and severe malnutrition. Of the 300,000 children treated in 2024, more than 75,000 required inpatient care, she said.

The current lean season, typically peaking in July, began unusually early this year, with some areas seeing surging admissions as far back as March. MSF attributes the crisis to a deadly mix of insecurity, food shortages, economic hardship, low vaccination coverage, and the compounding effects of climate change, including recent floods that wiped out crops and spiked food prices.

“Insecurity has disrupted farming and access to healthcare, while climate shocks and disease outbreaks have pushed many communities to the brink. We are seeing malnutrition continuing into November, a period when cases usually decline. This could mean 2025 may be even worse,” she said.

One of the gravest concerns raised by Dr. Tirima is the growing shortage of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), a critical intervention for treating malnourished children. “Without an adequate supply of therapeutic foods, we will struggle to treat children effectively, which could lead to preventable fatalities.”

Although MSF has taken proactive steps to restock its supplies ahead of the peak season, such as securing 8,500 boxes of RUTF in Bauchi state, shortages continue to affect many other humanitarian organisations, some of which have had to reduce or suspend operations due to dwindling funding.

She urged the federal government and international partners to urgently strengthen primary healthcare services, expand vaccination campaigns, increase funding for nutrition programmes, and improve food security.

With over 300,000 children treated in just seven states, the scale of Nigeria’s malnutrition crisis is staggering, and it may still be underreported. MSF fears that without immediate, large-scale intervention, thousands more children may be pushed into life-threatening conditions.

The problem is not always a lack of food but a lack of nutritious food. According to UNICEF, one in three Nigerian children under five, around 11 million, live in severe child food poverty, which means they are not getting even the bare minimum diet they need to grow and develop.

These children are 50 percent more likely to suffer from wasting, the deadliest form of malnutrition. Their weakened bodies are more vulnerable to diseases like pneumonia and diarrhea, which claim thousands of young lives every year.

The root causes are complex: rising food prices, conflict, climate change, poor feeding practices, and an alarming rise in ultra-processed foods being aggressively marketed to poor households.

However, in Layin Jere community in Borno State, a local nutrition advocate trained by UNICEF, Mrs. Usaina Abba Ibrahim is at the forefront of a grassroots campaign aimed at transforming nutrition and hygiene practices among mothers.

When our correspondent visited the community, it was gathered that Mrs Abba’s strategy was simple but powerful as she goes from door to door to educate women on the importance of exclusive breastfeeding, nutrient-rich local foods, and basic hygiene practices.

A mother of six in the community, Aisha Muhammed, who spoke in Hausa, told her correspondent that she has seen the result of exclusive breastfeeding in her fifth baby, adding that she regret not knowing about the benefits before

“I saw the result of exclusive breastfeeding in my fifth baby. Now I tell every pregnant woman to try it. It has changed everything for me,” she

According to Mrs Abba, Layin Jere women have formed two community-based support groups;  Alheri and Godiya. She said the groups focus on maternal and child nutrition from pregnancy through the first two years of life. The groups empower women with tools like the Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) tape to monitor their children’s health and identify early signs of malnutrition for timely referral.

The community leader,  Bulama Mustapha, who also spoke in Hausa, said “We’ve seen fewer sick children, and parents are now more aware and proactive about nutrition. The difference is clear.”

Highlighting  the significance of the community approach, UNICEF Nutrition Manager and Officer-in-Charge, Mrs. Priscilla Bayo, said  “These women are not only saving lives but empowering themselves and others. Their determination is a powerful force in the fight against malnutrition and a beacon of hope for their communities.”

UNICEF is also implementing a multi-pronged strategy to improve child nutrition, especially in underserved and conflict-affected regions. The approach includes:Scaling up access to quality nutrition services in both routine and emergency settings, particularly in the north, strengthening health and community systems to fully integrate nutrition into all levels of primary health care.

Others include supporting the National Plan of Action on Food and Nutrition, a policy blueprint to reduce malnutrition nationwide, prioritising a shift from emergency response to long-term development, focusing on interventions that address both stunting and SAM. Offering policy and technical support to federal and state governments to address the wide geographical disparities in nutrition outcomes.

The organisation emphasised the importance of improving food security, empowering women and caregivers with information, and expanding nutrition-sensitive interventions that promote dietary diversity, exclusive breastfeeding, and hygiene practices.

Calling on all sectors of government to work together in addressing the complex nature of malnutrition across the country, the Civil Society – Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) and the Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN) stressed that “Malnutrition is a multifaceted problem that requires a coordinated, multi-sectoral response.

The Executive Secretary of CS-SUNN, Sunday Okoronkwo and the President of NSN, Wasiu Afolabi,said  “Each sector must implement programmes in line with its mandate and in accordance with the National Policy on Food and Nutrition and the Multi-Sectoral Plan of Action.”

They stressed the importance of central coordination and strong nutrition governance, recommending the full implementation of presidential directives to establish nutrition departments across relevant ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).

To bolster Nigeria’s response to food and nutrition insecurity, CS-SUNN and NSN proposed the creation of a Nutrition Investment Trust Fund to support financing of targeted nutrition interventions.

However, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare said it is already working with stakeholders to implement key nutrition policies. But officials admit that more needs to be done urgently.

“We must improve our nutrition budget allocation. Investing in nutrition can prevent over 10 million cases of childhood diarrhea and pneumonia, and save over 220,000 children’s lives annually,”  said the Director and Head of Nutrition at the ministry, Mrs. Ladidi Bako-Aiyegbusi.

She noted that smart nutrition investments could also save the country up to $22 million annually in healthcare costs. But this requires political will and legislative action.

Mrs. Bako-Aiyegbusi urged lawmakers to allocate and release adequate funding for nutrition-specific programmes, monitor expenditures to ensure accountability.

Highlighting recent efforts to address nutrition-related mortality in the country. She disclosed that a death review conducted by the Academic Research Network offered critical insights into deaths linked to malnutrition. This, she added, was complemented by a separate survey assessing maternity protection practices across both public and private workplaces in the country.

“These two studies; the death review and the maternity protection assessment, are expected to inform the ongoing health sector transformation led by the Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare, with the aim of drastically reducing malnutrition rates nationwide,” Bako-Aiyegbusi said.

She stressed that closing the persistent gaps in nutrition service delivery, especially among health workers, remains a priority. One key challenge, according to her, is the limited training opportunities, particularly in private healthcare facilities.

“Most of the training has focused on public sector providers. But with the institutionalisation of maternal, infant, and young child nutrition (MIYCN) training in the country, we are now extending this capacity-building to include health workers in private facilities,” she noted.

Bako-Aiyegbusi also revealed that the ministry was collaborating with professional regulatory bodies, including the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, to integrate updated nutrition training into pre-service education. This move aims to ensure that future health professionals acquire essential nutrition service delivery skills from the outset of their careers. (Leadership)