A report indicating that about 40 per cent of Nigerian children under the age of five are suffering from stunted growth has triggered widespread concern over the country’s worsening child nutrition crisis.
The report by the Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership, also known as Think Tank, revealed that eight per cent of Nigerian children under five are wasted, while 27 per cent are underweight, with the highest burden recorded in the North-West and North-East regions.
The report, titled “Why Malnutrition Persists in Northern Nigeria: Strengthening Nutrition Governance, Financing and Primary Healthcare,” blamed weak governance structures, poor accountability and institutional failures for the continued prevalence of malnutrition despite years of government interventions.
According to the report, Nigeria’s challenge is no longer the absence of nutrition policies but the inability to effectively implement programmes and ensure accountability in the management of nutrition funds.
It identified Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara as among the states with the highest stunting rates, recording 46.3 per cent, 43.8 per cent and 42.6 per cent respectively.
The report also highlighted severe child food poverty in conflict-affected states, noting that 67 per cent of children in Borno, 66 per cent in Yobe and 60 per cent in Adamawa are affected.
It added that more than 17 million people across nine conflict-affected northern states are currently facing crisis, emergency or catastrophic levels of hunger, according to World Food Programme data.
The authors, Dr Suleiman Bello and Joshua Abah, said Nigeria had made progress in developing nutrition policies but had failed to establish effective delivery systems capable of reaching vulnerable children and households.
They called for stronger accountability measures, including linking access to health financing to verified nutrition readiness in states with high malnutrition rates.
The report also recommended quarterly publication of nutrition compliance reports showing budget releases, procurement of nutrition supplies, health facilities reached and outstanding obligations.
It urged northern states to establish stronger nutrition accountability institutions and strengthen Ward Development Committees to identify vulnerable mothers and children early.
Meanwhile, stakeholders have attributed the rising cases of child malnutrition to insecurity, poverty, high cost of living and declining agricultural activities.
President of the Middle Belt Forum, Dr Pogu Bitrus, said insecurity had prevented many farmers from accessing their farmlands, worsening food shortages and contributing to child malnutrition.
He noted that the crisis was not limited to the North-West and North-East, arguing that states in the North-Central and parts of southern Nigeria were also affected due to insecurity and economic hardship.
According to him, tackling terrorism, banditry and kidnapping remains crucial to restoring food production and preventing further deterioration of the nutrition situation.
An educationist and farmer, Sabiu Abubakar, also blamed insecurity and rising living costs for worsening food shortages in northern states.
He said banditry and kidnapping had disrupted farming activities, forcing communities that traditionally experienced seasonal food shortages to face year-round hunger.
Public affairs analyst, Adedayo Oluseye, argued that government economic policies, including fuel subsidy removal, had also contributed significantly to the worsening nutrition crisis.
He said many families could no longer afford nutritious meals, forcing parents to prioritise feeding their children with whatever food was available rather than focusing on quality.
Oluseye warned that the situation was not restricted to the regions mentioned in the report, adding that states such as Benue, Kogi, Kwara and Plateau, as well as parts of southern Nigeria, were also facing similar challenges.
He urged the government to provide immediate food support and nutritional supplements for vulnerable families while addressing insecurity to enable farmers to return to their farms.
The report concluded that addressing child malnutrition requires treating nutrition as a measurable responsibility of government rather than an emergency response activated only during crises.
Samuel Agada is a writer and media contributor from Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State, Nigeria. He is a graduate of Biochemistry from the University of Jos and a former banker with GTBank and FCMB. A prolific writer, songwriter, educator, and Gospel preacher, he is passionate about informing, inspiring, and impacting society through his work.