The country representative for UNICEF Nigeria, Cristian Munduate, has drawn attention to the alarming rise in acute Malnutrition in northern Nigeria, where nearly 1 million children are affected, leading the nation in stunting and wasting. During a recent visit to Zamfara State, Munduate pointed out the dire condition of undernourished children in the region. While she acknowledged the progress made in addressing some cases, she also raised concern over the high rates of the crisis, worsened by Poverty and cultural practices. She further emphasized that children suffering from severe food poverty are at a heightened risk of wasting, a life-threatening condition that severely affects their survival and growth.
Munduate called for swift and concerted action to tackle the situation, emphasizing the necessity of more funding for Nutrition initiatives and more extensive systemic adjustments to lower the cost and enhance the availability of nutrient-dense food. She noted that the most vulnerable groups, especially families experiencing food poverty, must be the focus of assistance efforts. With high rates of childhood stunting and wasting, the northern states are disproportionately impacted. The rates are considerably higher in states like Zamfara, Sokoto, and Katsina, where the issue is exacerbated by poverty, food insecurity, and a lack of proper healthcare infrastructure.
MSF reports a worsening malnutrition crisis in the northwest.
Earlier in December 2024, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported that it discovered extremely critical levels of malnutrition in northwest Nigeria through a survey with regional health authorities. The report highlighted how climate change, inflation, and Insecurity are contributing to the rising number of children who suffer from malnutrition annually. During a recent trip to Katsina, MSF USA CEO Avril Benoît stated, “Our projections are catastrophic for 2025 as the number of malnutrition cases keeps rising year over year.” It was also revealed that the situation has dramatically worsened rather than improved.
In Katsina, over 30 percent of children in some areas suffer from global acute malnutrition, up from 22 percent two years ago. While severe acute malnutrition, the most serious type of malnutrition, currently affects 6.8 to 14.4 percent of children, these are extremely serious levels of malnutrition, as per the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification. On the other hand, Jigawa State faces a high rate of malnutrition, with 81.9% of children experiencing anemia, 9.6% being wasted, and 64% being stunted. More than 80% of children live in food poverty due to a lack of a varied diet that promotes growth and development.
Alarming scale of child malnutrition in Nigeria.
On a nationwide scale, 11 million Nigerian children under five live in extreme food poverty, which increases their risk of wasting, a potentially fatal form of malnutrition, by 50%, according to a 2024 UNICEF report. The country already has one of the highest rates of severe wasting in the world, with 1.9 million cases each year and ranks second in terms of child stunting, which affects 32% of children under five. Of this, only 20% of those who require treatment receive it. Flooding, conflict, and food shortages are making Nigeria’s malnutrition crisis worse; in just one year, the number of at-risk children increased from 4.4 million to 5.4 million.
Beyond immediate health issues, stunting is linked to a higher risk of mortality, impaired cognitive development, and poor academic achievement, all of which eventually result in decreased adult output. The impact on the Economy is significant, estimated that up to 11% of Nigeria’s GDP is lost as a result of malnutrition. UNICEF highlighted that poor feeding practices, food insecurity, poverty, and a lack of access to healthcare are the main causes of malnutrition in Nigeria. While just 18% of children aged 6 to 23 months consume the minimum appropriate diet, exclusive breastfeeding rates have stayed static at 17% over the previous ten years, exposing serious nutritional deficiencies in children.
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Addressing malnutrition in Nigeria requires a comprehensive approach that tackles the root causes, such as improving food security, expanding healthcare services, encouraging the best feeding practices for infants and young children, and implementing focused interventions in the most impacted areas. The country representative for UNICEF Nigeria underlined the critical need for coordinated efforts to combat child food poverty and increase the affordability and accessibility of wholesome options, particularly for households that are more vulnerable. The survival of millions of Nigerian children, especially in the northern region, depends on immediate and sustained government intervention as global funding cuts are reducing organizations’ capacity to respond.