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Tag: malnutrition

  • NGOs urge urgent action to save 600,000 children at risk of acute malnutrition in the north

    NGOs urge urgent action to save 600,000 children at risk of acute malnutrition in the north

    Save the Children International and the Nigeria INGO Forum (NIF) have called on the federal government to take urgent action within the next three months to protect an estimated 600,000 children under the age of five who are at risk of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) across six northern states: Adamawa, Borno, Katsina, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara.

    The groups warned that Nigeria is facing a rapidly worsening food and nutrition emergency that could push about 31 million people into acute food insecurity during the 2025 lean season, potentially becoming the world’s largest humanitarian crisis if timely interventions are not implemented.

    Speaking in Abuja on Thursday during the commemoration of the sixteenth Africa Food Security and Nutrition Day, Save the Children’s Country Director, Duncan Harvey, stressed the need for intensified efforts to strengthen food and nutrition security across the continent, noting the urgent realities confronting vulnerable households in Nigeria.

    Emphasizing that the gathering was beyond commemoration, Harvey said it served as a platform to drive solutions and recommendations to tackle food insecurity and malnutrition in Nigeria.

    Citing the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Nigeria Acute Malnutrition Analysis (May 2024–April 2025), conducted in collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Harvey said 26 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) will experience critical food shortages next year.

    “According to the analysis, 31 million Nigerians will face acute food and nutritional insecurity, while 5.4 million children are already suffering from acute malnutrition. 

    “Of these, 3.5 million children under five are affected by SAM, with 1.2 million requiring immediate, lifesaving treatment.

    “In just a few months, an estimated 600,000 children could become severely malnourished across the six northern states. 

    “Without access to therapeutic food and urgent care, about 96,000 may die—that’s more than 1,000 children every day,” Harvey warned.

    The organizations noted that 32 percent of Nigerian children under five are stunted, with rates exceeding 50 percent in some northwestern communities. 

    In addition, more than 800,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women are at risk of acute malnutrition, compounding the country’s maternal and child health crisis.

    “Hunger is not just a lack of food, it’s a violation of dignity and a threat to the future. Food and nutrition security must be treated as a fundamental human right, not a privilege,” he noted.

    The NGOs urged the Nigerian government, donors, and international partners to immediately allocate funds for lifesaving nutrition commodities such as Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) and Therapeutic Milk, preferably produced locally. 

    They also called for stronger political commitment, improved social protection systems, and greater investment in long-term agricultural and nutrition programs.

    “Severe malnutrition has irreversible impacts on a child’s physical and cognitive development and, by extension, on national productivity. It is not only a humanitarian crisis but a threat to Nigeria’s human capital and economic stability,” Dr. Helen Idiong, the Director of Program, Quality and Influencing at Plan International Nigeria, said.

    The organizations appealed to the government to adopt shock-responsive social safety nets, scale up food assistance and livelihood support, and strengthen collaboration with humanitarian partners for evidence-based interventions through the Cadre Harmonisé and IPC systems.

    They further called for targeted interventions to support the 800,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women at risk, emphasizing that leveraging the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF) could double the impact on vulnerable populations.

    “As humanitarian and development agencies, we reaffirm our commitment to working alongside the government to stop preventable deaths from hunger and malnutrition.

    “No child should die of hunger— not today, not tomorrow, not ever,” Thierno Diallo, the Country Director of Action Against Hunger (ACF), noted.

  • Malnutrition crisis worsens as aid withdrawal hits northeast

    Malnutrition crisis worsens as aid withdrawal hits northeast

    The humanitarian situation in the northeast is worsening as the suspension of nutrition services by international partners leaves hundreds of thousands of children at risk of severe malnutrition, UNICEF has reported.

    The United Nations agency said the decision by the World Food Programme, Save the Children and Action Against Hunger to halt their support has exposed vulnerable families to hunger and disease.

    “Nearly 31 million Nigerians are now facing acute hunger. Without urgent funding, we will not be able to sustain lifesaving services,” UNICEF warned.

    In Maiduguri, the once crowded Outpatient Therapeutic Programme at the 1000 Housing Estate Primary Healthcare Clinic has been closed since March. The officer in charge, Fati Babagana, told UNICEF that children are being discharged from the stabilisation centre without follow-up treatment.

    “Before, we admitted between 50 and 60 children every week. Now we admit more than 70. Without the outpatient programme, children are returning with measles and other complications because mothers cannot travel to distant centres,” she said.

    She added, “We stopped food demonstrations for mothers since March because there was no funding to continue. We cannot watch children waste away when we know what can save them. If help comes, we can keep them alive. If it does not, many will die.”

    Read Also: Katsina government tackles malnutrition through comprehensive health, nutrition, food security measures

    At the 700 Housing Estate clinic, cobwebs and broken furniture now fill the rooms where children once received treatment. A health worker told UNICEF, “What you see here is not just an empty building. It is a symbol of children left without care.”

    In Monguno, Action Against Hunger suspended activities in May. Across Borno and Yobe States, more than 150 nutrition clinics have been shut, directly affecting over 300,000 children under two years old. UNICEF stressed, “They are the most vulnerable. They need this support to survive.

    The agency said its humanitarian response remains severely underfunded. “Out of a 255 million dollar requirement for Nigeria, we have received less than 100 million dollars. That means two-thirds of the plan is unfunded. Stocks are running out. Families are waiting, but we cannot deliver at the scale needed,” UNICEF stated.

    The Yobe State government has approved N165 million to procure ready-to-use therapeutic food through the Child Nutrition Fund. The Borno State government is also working with UNICEF to sustain services.

    Francis Butichi, UNICEF Chief of Maiduguri Field Office, said, “The needs remain vast. From sanitation to nutrition, families are suffering. The burden on the health system is overwhelming. If the outpatient programme at the 1000 Housing Estate clinic returns, fewer children will relapse into sickness. That would be a victory for children.”

  • Public health experts demand urgent action on clinical malnutrition

    Public health experts demand urgent action on clinical malnutrition

    Public health experts and government officials have renewed calls for urgent interventions to tackle clinical malnutrition in Nigerian hospitals, warning that the condition remains largely undetected and is contributing to avoidable deaths.

    The appeal was led by Dr. Teresa Pounds, a U.S-based clinical pharmacist and specialist in parenteral and enteral nutrition, and founder of the West African Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (WASPEN).

    Speaking during the 2025 WASPEN Clinical Nutrition Conference in Abuja, Dr. Pounds described hospital malnutrition as a “skeleton in the hospital closet” that is worsening patient outcomes but remains poorly addressed by healthcare systems.

    Pounds said WASPEN was founded after seeing how patients were routinely discharged from hospitals without their nutritional needs being assessed or supported.

    She explained that many hospitalised patients are unable to eat due to their medical conditions, yet hospitals lack screening systems, competent teams, or the right nutritional products to intervene effectively.

    “We’re not identifying them, and we’re not doing enough to treat them. Our goal is for every hospital patient in Nigeria to be screened for nutritional status. This way, we can detect problems early and respond before they worsen,” she said.

    She stressed that proper hospital nutrition goes beyond food, as it includes clinical interventions for patients requiring intravenous (parenteral) or enteral feeding.

    According to her, the solution must involve trained multidisciplinary teams made up of dietitians, pharmacists, nurses and physicians using evidence-based products and practices.

    She warned that the lack of appropriate nutritional support was costing lives, citing a recent case of a malnourished neonate who died due to the unavailability of specialised feeding products, “That should not happen in this day and age,” she said.

    She called for more investment in local manufacturing, revealing that one pharmaceutical company, Fitzen, has begun working with her to produce parenteral nutrition formulas in Nigeria. “Fitzen has listened.

    “I have the clinical knowledge; they have the infrastructure. By God’s grace, production will soon begin. Others should follow suit.”

    While commending the Ministry of Health for increased engagement, including participation in WASPEN initiatives and a recent health walk, Dr. Pounds said the Federal government must urgently match the attention given to community malnutrition with equal commitment to hospital nutrition.

    “President Tinubu and his team have committed funds to fight community malnutrition, we’re saying, do the same for hospital malnutrition. Fund the products. Fund the systems,” she said.

    She also urged the National Health Insurance Authority to cover clinical nutrition services and called for reforms that would formally recognise nutrition as a critical part of medical care.

    She noted that the conference reinforces WASPEN’s goal of building capacity across West Africa and expanding awareness around hospital nutrition care, stressing, “Real change will come only when clinical nutrition is recognised as central to healthcare and adequately supported with systems, personnel and products.

    “We are finally seeing people begin to understand the message. Now we need policies, funding and implementation to match.”

    Read Also: EU allocates N900m to tackle malnutrition in northern Nigeria

    The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, echoed the same concerns, saying that the government is scaling up interventions across all 774 local government areas through the N774 Nutrition Project.

    “Our goal is to ensure that nutrition support does not end at hospital discharge but continues seamlessly in the community,” he said.

    Represented by Dr. Emmanuel Abata, the Minister added that the Ministry is standardising hospital practices through the National Guidelines for Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition and deepening collaboration with WASPEN on research and policy development.

    The Federal Capital Territory’s Mandate Secretary for Health Services and Environment, Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, highlighted the dual burden of undernutrition and overnutrition in Nigeria.

    Represented by Dr. Gbenga Bello, the Managing Director of the Hospital Management Board, Fasawe said poor access to life-saving interventions like parenteral nutrition remains a major gap and affirmed the administration’s willingness to support local production of clinical nutrition products.

    Professor Cyril Osifo, Chairman of the Conference and former President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, said over 37 percent of Nigerian children are stunted and about two million suffer from severe acute malnutrition.

    He warned that many patients are dying after discharge because their nutritional needs were not addressed during hospitalisation.

    He urged stronger collaboration with local pharmaceutical companies to produce affordable indigenous nutrition formulas and emphasised the need for nutrition education among health workers and the public.

    The President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Prof. Bala Audu, in his keynote address, called hospital malnutrition a “silent epidemic” that significantly increases patient mortality.

    He said international studies show that up to half of hospitalised patients globally are malnourished, with Nigeria’s own figures showing 71.3 percent of elderly and 41.2 percent of children under five admitted to hospitals are either malnourished or at risk.

    He blamed the crisis on outdated medical training, poor hospital policies, and the absence of structured clinical nutrition services.

    Represented by Dr Usha Anenga, NMA’s Vice President 2, Audu recommended that all hospitals conduct mandatory nutrition screening at admission and that multidisciplinary nutrition teams be made standard.

    Calling for the inclusion of nutrition infrastructure in hospital budgets, he said, “Access to adequate nutrition in hospitals must be recognised as a basic human right. Failing to address hospital malnutrition amounts to social injustice.”

  • MSF treats 5,076 babies free, as malnutrition cases rise in Kano

    MSF treats 5,076 babies free, as malnutrition cases rise in Kano

    The Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is treating about 5,076 patient-children aged between six and 59 months, who are suffering from malnutrition in Kano.

    The treatment, which includes medication and feeding, are free.

    When The Nation visited the Ambulatory Therapeutic Feeding Centre (ATFC) at Ugwan Uku Primary Healthcare Centre, along Zaria Road, the admissions this year had increased by 65 percent when compared with the first quarter of last year when 3,401 patients were admitted.

    “The In-patient Therapeutic Feeding Centre (ITFC) admitted 3,691 patients last year. In the first quarter of 2024, we admitted 352 patients, and in the same period this year, we have admitted 732 – about 48% increase.

    “Mortality in ITFC for the first quarter is 5 percent. In the ATFC, the cure rate is 89 percent while mortality is 0 percent,” Dr Anthony Mbarga, the Project Medical Referent MSF, Kano Project, said.

    The MSF, also referred to as doctors without borders, had one centre for both ATFC and ITFC when the medical humanitarian organisation first came to Kano in 2022. But the increase in malnutrition cases has forced it to now have three ATFC centres and two ITFC centres.

    They started with 55 beds, but as at last month, they had to increase the hospital beds to 178.

    Read Also: 11 things Nigerians should note when applying for a five-year Schengen visa

    Dr. Mbarga explained that the ATFC is where children who are malnourished but are without complications are treated for the management of malnutrition, while the ITFC handles malnourished patients with severe cases.

    Dr. Mbarga said MSF is not standing alone for the medical project; it is also supporting the state ministry of Health, while giving advice to mothers about hygiene and what to give their babies to prevent malnutrition.

    At the Ungwan Uku centre, The Nation visited the Green Ward (non-emergency cases), Yellow (priority cases for admission) and Red Ward, where emergency cases with severe ailments are stabilised.

  • NEC launches Nutrition 774 initiative to tackle malnutrition

    NEC launches Nutrition 774 initiative to tackle malnutrition

    The National Economic Council (NEC) has launched the Nutrition 774 Initiative aimed at ensuring that all mothers and children have access to lifesaving nutrition interventions.

    Vice President Kashim Shettima, who inaugurated the initiative at the 148th NEC meeting at the Presidential Villa, called on governors, ministers, local government chairmen, and private sector stakeholders to take urgent and decisive action to improve Nigeria’s nutrition indicators.

    According to him, the consequences of malnutrition transcend the health sector, forming the foundation of the calamities that limit productivity, learning and the nation’s growth.

    The Vice President said the fact that about 40 per cent of Nigerian children under five are suffering from stunting, eight per cent from wasting, and 27 per cent from underweight indicates the need for urgent action.

    Read Also: Fed Govt targets malnutrition reduction with Nutrition 774 Initiative

    This, he noted, is the reason why the Nutrition 774 Initiative is a turning point, stressing that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu considers the initiative as a national priority that fulfils his promise to Nigerians.

    According to a statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima said: “By focusing on grassroots impact, we will ensure that mothers and children across all communities have access to critical nutrition support where it matters most.”

    Local government chairmen and the representatives of other partners pledged their commitment to the initiative’s actualisation.

  • Fed Govt targets malnutrition reduction with Nutrition 774 Initiative

    Fed Govt targets malnutrition reduction with Nutrition 774 Initiative

    Nutrition has been prioritised in the National Development Agenda, the Special Assistant to the President on Public, Focal Person Nutrition in the Office of the Vice President, Mrs. Uju Vanstasia Rochas, has said.

    She spoke at a two-day workshop that reviewed and finalised the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the Nutrition 774 Initiative.

    Mrs. Rochas said it is a government-led, multi-sectoral initiative aimed at strengthening coordination, fostering political commitment, improving financing, and raising the nutrition profile across every sector and tier of government.

    “The idea behind Nutrition 774 is simple but powerful: to scale up high-impact, cost-effective, and evidence-based interventions across key sectors like health, agriculture, education, social protection, water and sanitation, and women affairs.

    “But as we all know, nutrition is not the work of one ministry or sector. It is everybody’s business.

    “This initiative brings us together—not as competitors but as collaborators, not in silos but as a united front—because the challenge of malnutrition is too big for anyone to tackle alone,” she said.

    The initiative is the flagship programme under the National Council on Nutrition, chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima.

    It has received endorsement from the National Economic Council, positioning nutrition firmly as a national priority in this administration’s agenda.

    Mrs. Rochas added: “A key milestone is the establishment of a House Committee on Food and Nutrition — the first of its kind — at both the federal and state levels.

    “The mandate of the committee is clear: to sustain political commitment, push for legislative support, and ensure that nutrition remains prioritised in policies and budgets.”

    The Deputy Chief of Staff to the President in the Office of the Vice President, Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, who represented the VP, said the initiative reflects a collective resolve to ensure that every Nigerian, especially children, has access to the nutrition they need to survive, grow, and thrive.

    Read Also: Children malnutrition: Fed Govt moves to reverse Nigeria’s top ranking

    He added: “We cannot overstate the urgency of this task. Malnutrition is a silent crisis that threatens our nation’s future.

    “It stunts human potential, weakens communities, and slows down economic growth. It requires more than just a single-sector response.

    “We need coordinated action across health, agriculture, education, water and sanitation, social protection, and other sectors, if we want to make a meaningful impact.

    “I would like to reiterate that this government, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is deeply committed to strengthening Nigeria’s human capital and improving quality of life for all citizens. This is why nutrition is prioritised in our national development agenda.

    “The Nutrition 774 Initiative offers us a clear framework to do just that. It focuses on delivering high-impact interventions at the grassroots level.

    “But here is the key: while the government leads this effort, this isn’t a government-only project.

    “It is a shared responsibility that demands the active participation of everyone—federal, state, and local governments, development partners, the private sector, civil society, academia, and the media.

    “Each of you plays a critical role, and in order for this initiative to succeed, Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) must prioritize nutrition in their plans and budgets; the Legislature must provide the relevant oversight and ensure adequate budgetary allocation for nutrition; development partners and donors must align their support to ensure sustainability and avoid duplication; the private sector and civil society must bring innovative solutions and hold us accountable; and state and local governments must empower communities to take ownership of these interventions.

    “Success will require strong coordination, transparency, and accountability at all levels.

    “As we finalise the SOP during this workshop, we are laying down a blueprint for action.

    “It will guide how we deliver interventions that are data-driven, community-centred, and aligned across sectors and tiers of government.

    “Our success will not be measured by how beautiful our policies are on paper but by the real-life impact we bring to our communities—the reduction in stunting, healthier mothers and children, and communities that are truly empowered to sustain these gains for generations.”

  • Forum warns of rising malnutrition

    Forum warns of rising malnutrition

    • ‘40% under 5 children stunted in Kaduna

    The Civil Society-Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) has raised alarm over the escalating malnutrition crisis affecting women and children, with Kaduna State facing particularly concerning statistics.

    Speaking at a media engagement in Kaduna, CS-SUNN Executive Secretary, Sunday Okoronkwo, cited findings from the 2023/24 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), which shows that 40.7 per cent of children under five in Kaduna are stunted, up from the previous 37 per cent reported in 2018.

    Nationally, the data revealed that 40 per cent of children under five are stunted and that 55 per cent of women of reproductive age suffer from anemia, marking an increase that demands urgent action.

    Okoronkwo emphasised the wide-ranging consequences of these conditions, which impede cognitive development, weaken immunity, and increase vulnerability to illness.

    He underscored that malnutrition not only impacts the immediate well-being of children but also hampers long-term productivity.

    Highlighting the benefits of Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS), Okoronkwo said that research has shown MMS to be effective in reducing anemia and promoting healthy pregnancy outcomes.

    Okoronkwo called on the Kaduna State government to prioritise MMS distribution and leverage the Child Nutrition Fund to double its investments in nutritional interventions.

    State Nutrition Officer, Mrs. Ramatu Haruna, urged the media to play an active role in promoting the uptake of MMS as an essential step toward combating malnutrition. She noted that the government recently allocated N400 million as a commitment to child nutrition funding, aimed at procuring and distributing MMS to expectant mothers across the state.

    Mrs. Haruna highlighted that adequate supplementation is critical to ensuring the health of both mothers and their babies.

    Read Also: Malnutrition: 40 percent of children suffering from stunting – FG

    Dr. Zainab Muhammad Kwaru, Project Coordinator for the World Bank-supported Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) project, detailed ongoing efforts to distribute MMS at the community level.

    She said: “Since 2022, ANRiN has delivered over 16 million doses of MMS through non-state actors who reach pregnant women and adolescent girls by going house to house across Kaduna’s 23 Local Government Areas.”

    Dr. Kwaru noted that a blueprint for training healthcare providers at health facilities is in development to ensure consistent access to MMS.

    Meanwhile, a beneficiary, Alheri Monday from Jama’a council, shared her positive experience with MMS during her last pregnancy. She reported significant health improvements compared to her first pregnancy, noting her second baby weighed 3.7kg, up from the 2.8kg weight of her first.

    Monday emphasised that MMS reduced symptoms such as vomiting, and improved her overall appetite, underscoring the importance of making MMS accessible to all pregnant women in the state.

  • Malnutrition: 40 percent of children suffering from stunting – FG

    Malnutrition: 40 percent of children suffering from stunting – FG

    Chairperson of the National Nutrition Technical Working Group (NNTWG) of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ngozi Nnam has lamented the increase in child stunting rates which rose from 37 percent to 40 percent.

    The government blamed the latest figure on the rising malnutrition rate in the country.

    Nnam spoke Thursday in Abuja at a two-day meeting held in collaboration with FHI360/ Alive and Thrive, to review progress on Nigeria’s health sector nutrition priorities with the goal of reducing malnutrition.

    The FHI 360 Alive/Thrive is a prominent member of the NNTWG.

    Expressing concern over the situation, she said: “We have regressed instead of making progress. It’s not an encouraging development, and we are here to aggressively address this issue. Our goal is to ensure that in the next report, we see significant improvements.”

    Read Also; NIS addresses visa-on-arrival application process

    Nnam emphasised the urgent need for concerted efforts to combat the rising malnutrition crisis, particularly its devastating impact on children.

    She attributed much of the setbacks to the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted food production, social security, and childcare systems.

    According to her, lack of funding and inadequate support systems have further compounded the situation.

    She said: “The COVID era disrupted many aspects of life, and it’s not surprising that our malnutrition rates haven’t improved. This trend was seen globally.”

    She highlighted the need for a consortium to study the lasting effects of the pandemic on malnutrition and food security, with a focus on improving child health outcomes.

    Despite the current challenges, Nnam remains optimistic, believing that with the right strategies and collaborations, Nigeria can reduce the alarming malnutrition rate.

  • Fighting malnutrition

    Fighting malnutrition

    • We welcome collaboration among Fed Govt, CAN and World Bank

    Malnutrition is one of the dangers of existence, either out of ignorance about the right nutrition, poverty, or deliberate choice not to eat healthy. However, malnutrition poses grave dangers to women who, due to their physiology go through reproductive phases to bear young ones. In what seems as a chain cycle, young children born by malnourished mothers suffer developmental deficiencies. The most endangered demographic when it comes to malnutrition are the 0-5 children, especially in a developing country like Nigeria.

    Nigeria has one of the highest numbers of malnourished children, women and youths. This is not surprising, given that more than 133 million Nigerians live in multi-dimensional poverty. Nutritious food costs money. Even those that are rich are often very unaware of the value of nutritious diet and often merely indulge in unhealthy foods, usually in a flawed sense of affluence. The years of food insecurity and deviation from an agrarian life has equally affected how families feed in Nigeria.

    Indeed, there are fears that Nigeria might be surreptitiously raising a generation of physically and mentally retarded children due to chronic malnutrition cases across the country, especially in most states of the North. The reasons are not far-fetched. The lack of empowerment for most women is an issue, child marriage has implications. A child-mother cannot understand as a child herself, the nutrition she needs, either for herself or her unborn or born children.

    The millions of malnourished children, women and youths in Nigeria impact productivity and, by implication, the socio-economic health of Nigeria.

     It is therefore commendable that the Federal Government, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the World Bank are partnering to intervene by supporting at least, 11 million malnourished children, focusing on pregnant women, adolescent girls and the under- 5s in about 11 of the most affected states across the country. The partnership was officially launched at the Faith Actors Workshop/Public Sensitisation Lecture on Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRIN), in Abuja.

    The workshop had stakeholders like faith leaders, healthcare professionals and government officials discussing realistic strategies for improving nutrition and its value amongst the people. It is commendable that the CAN president, Archbishop (Dr.) Daniel Okoh, explained that, “… nutrition is not merely a matter of sustenance, it is a foundation to human development and societal progress”.

    We commend the fact that he pointed out the socio-cultural hurdles hampering good nutrition, by challenging certain cultural beliefs often enforced by equally ignorant local people, which impact the choices of food eaten in several communities. He rightly pointed out the impact of malnutrition on pregnant women, nursing mothers and children. When a society gets the feeding of its women and children wrong, the results can be dire.

    While we commend the Federal Government for the collaboration, it is important to address the fundamentals that lead to malnutrition. The nurturers of children, either during pregnancy or after birth, are women. What this means is that the young woman must be educated enough to understand her body and reproductive health. This means that the laws prohibiting child marriage must be enforced, else it would just be like the proverbial pouring water into a basket. Conferences and seminars cannot cure malnutrition. Education for the girl-child is key.

    Government must understand the need to take good care of the citizens. It means, amongst other things, that the government must pay special attention to the agricultural sector. Nutritious foods must be available and affordable. In most countries in the developed world, priority feeding is given to pregnant women and children. Some countries supply pregnant women with basic proteins like milk and eggs, while school age children are supplied nutritious foods in schools.

    Read Also: Shettima unveils initiative to combat malnutrition

    Farmers are often assisted with subsidies to produce enough. In fact, farming is not seen as the business of school dropouts as it is highly mechanised and each state is supported to maximise its agricultural products. A state like Florida in the United States, for instance, is popular for its orchards that produce fruit juices that are often exported.

    Governments invest in agriculture, making it very attractive to the young. In Nigeria, there is undue pressure for certificates and most of the graduates fill the job market while depending on old subsistence farmers for food.

    The tripartite collaboration is commendable but rejigging of agricultural policies and education curricula are equally important for a better nourished population.

  • ECOWAS, WFP provide $1.6m to fight rising malnutrition, poverty in North West

    ECOWAS, WFP provide $1.6m to fight rising malnutrition, poverty in North West

    The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission and the World Food Program (WFP) have provided $1.6million to help fight rising malnutrition and poverty in Katsina and Sokoto states.

    The areas have witnessed a rise in poverty and malnutrition as a result of a surge in banditry and internal displacement in the North West.

    Donation of palliative to the North West by the WFP is expected to increase to the troubled North West region as a total of  5,00O metric tonne of wheat donated by the Ukrainian government is scheduled to be received at the weekend.

    The Deputy Head of Programme WFP, Manuela Reinfield disclosed on Friday at the launch of the second phase of the ECOWAS, WFP, Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affair Stabilization Project for 2024/2025 in Katsina.

    Reinfield, while noting that the project took off at the right time, given the deteriorating food security situation and insecurity situation in the North West, said Stabilization Project aims at providing monthly cash transfer support of N11,500  to about 14,500 beneficiaries in both Katsina and Sokoto states for the next six months.

    She revealed that nutritious food, consisting of a corn-soya blend, to pregnant and lactating women and their children under-2 years to prevent malnutrition will also be distributed in both states.

    Read Also: Boko Haram invades Yobe school, shoots students dead, injures one other

    She added that Katsina and Zamfara states would get unconditional food assistance with the wheat grain expected to arrive in the country from Ukraine on Sunday

    The Permanent Representative of Nigeria in the  Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Amb. Sani Nuhu explained that the regional bloc which had established a Stabilization Fund to assist  victims of terrorism and banditry in the region decided on humanitarian assistance to the Northwest because of the sad situation

    He said: “ECOWAS Commission came up with the idea of setting aside $1 million to be given to Nigeria every year to come up with a program on providing social alleviation initiatives to victims of insecurity in the northeast and the Northwest.