The recent revelation by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) that about 2.9 million children in Nigeria are suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) is alarming. This startling disclosure should challenge the nation’s policy makers to go back to the drawing board with a view to remedying the sordid situation.
The UNICEF Country Representative, Mrs Cristian Munduate, who said this Ilorin, Kwara state, noted that the affected children must be immediately taken to the hospital for urgent medical attention to prevent their untimely death.
Cristian Munduate, who spoke at the handover ceremony of 40,000 Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) through the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF), added that over 40 percent of children in Kwara state suffer from the menace.
The UNICEF representative also said that the Kwara state government had contributed $100,000 to access the CNF, noting that UNICEF had brought in the same amount. She attributed the causes of severe acute malnutrition to the consequences of poverty, climate change, lack of access to food, and insecurity.
She said, “Records indicate that 2.9 million children in Nigeria are suffering from acute malnutrition. This obviously is not a good development. So, it’s my considered opinion that the affected children should be immediately taken to the hospital for urgent medical attention to prevent untimely death.
“UNICEF introduced the CNF to boost investment in policies and programmes. The organisation is committed to partnering with Kwara state to combat malnutrition, particularly during the first 1000 days of life.
‘The challenge of over 40 percent of children being stunted and nearly 300,000 children affected by wasting, requires urgent attention to address these issues.”
She attributed the causes of severe acute malnutrition to the consequences of poverty, climate change, lack of access to food, and security issues.
Governor AbdulRaman AbdulRazaq in his remark said that the desire to positively impact the lives of Kwara children and improve the narratives in nutrition indices in the state informed the decision to accept UNICEF’s CNF programme.
“UNICEF offered a platform called the child nutrition fund, where the organisation will partner with any state government that is ready to pay at least $100,000 to provide RUTF for malnourished children. This partnership has resulted in the procurement of RUTF, which we are here today to officially receive from UNICEF.
“Our partnership with UNICEF is not just collaboration but also a strong mission to uphold the fundamental rights of women and children. And we will continue to make major advances towards improving child health and nutrition.
“This nutrition commodity is designed to restore health to sick children and give them the hope of a brighter and productive future. I appeal to parents with malnourished children to take them to health facilities to enjoy the RUTF.
“I also challenge our health providers to ensure these food commodities are expertly dispensed and judiciously utilised. I urge us all to prioritise our health and the health of our children for our individual well-being and for the prosperity of our nation.”
Speaking on the topic, Combating Malnutrition in Nigeria: The Lifesaving Power of RUTF, a professor of pediatrics and child health at the University of Ilorin, Aisha Bolakale, said that, tragically, only about 20 percent of the affected children currently receive the treatment they need in the country.
According to UNICEF and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) over 35 million Nigerian children under five are malnourished. Without intervention, up to 400,000 children with SAM die annually — more than 1,000 deaths per day.
These are not just numbers. They represent our future — the next generation of Nigerian doctors, engineers, educators, and leaders. Yet, many will never have the chance to grow, thrive, or even survive.
Nigeria now has the highest burden of malnourished children in Africa with a national prevalence rate of 32 percent of children under five, while only two out of every 10 children affected currently have access to treatment. Seven percent of women of childbearing age also suffer from acute malnutrition.
UNICEF described malnutrition as a direct or underlying cause of 45 percent of all deaths of under-five children. It explained that states in Northern Nigeria were the most affected by the two forms of malnutrition – stunting and wasting. It added that high rates of malnutrition posed significant public health and development challenges for the country.
It is instructive that the federal government had in February reaffirmed its commitment to tackle malnutrition through an investment of N1.2 billion in domestic resources to the CNF, a key initiative aimed at improving maternal and child health in Nigeria.
While Blueprint views the federal government’s efforts at improving child nutrition as laudable, we note that more needs to be done towards the elimination of child malnutrition in the country, or, at least, bring it to the barest minimum.
Reeling out statistics without tangible and verifiable results are mere cosmetics that cannot make the desired impact on the lives of the estimated 2.9 million Nigerian children suffering from acute malnutrition.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s proclamation to mark this year’s Children’s Day on May 27 should be religiously implemented. He said: “Through the Nutrition 774 and our School Feeding schemes, we work assiduously to improve child health and cognitive development. The Nutrition 774 project aims to ensure no child in Nigeria goes hungry.
“Through this project, we are reaching every community, guaranteeing that children receive the necessary nutrition to thrive in their academic pursuits, creative endeavours, and overall health. A well-nourished child is well-equipped and ready to tackle the challenges of tomorrow”.
We cannot agree more.