Northern Nigeria is facing an escalating malnutrition crisis that demands immediate and sustained attention. Recent data paints a grim picture: Nigeria holds the unenviable position of having the second-highest number of stunted children globally, with a staggering 32% prevalence rate among children under five. Even more troubling is the fact that about two million children suffer from severe acute malnutrition (SAM), yet only 20% receive life-saving treatment.
The situation in 2024 has grown particularly dire, according to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Dr Sanjana Tirima of MSF highlights that the number of severely malnourished children requiring treatment has doubled in just a year. For example, MSF’s inpatient therapeutic feeding centre in Maiduguri admitted 1,250 children in April 2024, compared to half that number in April 2023. The facility has now expanded to 350 beds, far exceeding its original 200-bed capacity, yet it still struggles to meet demand.
A similar crisis is unfolding across other parts of northern Nigeria. In Bauchi State, admissions of severely malnourished children at MSF’s Kafin Madaki hospital surged by 188% in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. Northwestern states like Zamfara, Kano, and Sokoto have also reported a disturbing increase in cases, ranging from 20% to 100%.
The causes of this crisis are manifold. Persistent insecurity in the region has displaced thousands, disrupting agricultural activities and limiting access to food. Additionally, frequent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, a shortage of medical facilities and personnel, and devastating floods have compounded the situation. As Dr. Christos Christou, MSF’s International President, noted, the crisis is a result of multiple overlapping challenges that are stretching the region’s already fragile healthcare system to its limits.
Despite the severity of the crisis, the response has been grossly inadequate. In May 2024, the United Nations and Nigerian authorities launched an appeal for $306.4 million to tackle nutrition needs in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states. However, this appeal falls short of addressing the needs in other affected regions, such as Bauchi and Zamfara, where the crisis continues to unfold.
The stakes are high. Malnutrition is not just a health issue—it has long-term social and economic consequences. Children who survive malnutrition often face lifelong challenges, including impaired cognitive development and poor academic performance, reducing their future productivity and widening the poverty trap. Failure to act now will doom thousands of children to unnecessary suffering and deepen the region’s socio-economic challenges.
As Dr. Tirima rightly emphasises, “Everyone needs to step in to save lives and allow the children of northern Nigeria to grow free from malnutrition and its disastrous long-term, if not fatal, consequences.” Beyond emergency responses, there is an urgent need for long-term, sustainable solutions that address the root causes of malnutrition. This includes improving food security, expanding access to healthcare, scaling up vaccination campaigns, and rebuilding infrastructure to mitigate the effects of climate disasters.
The path forward must involve collaboration across all sectors—the federal and state governments, humanitarian organisations, the private sector, and international partners. A comprehensive response will require adequate funding, political will, and a firm commitment to tackling the structural challenges that perpetuate malnutrition.
The lives and futures of millions of children in northern Nigeria depend on decisive action. This crisis is a stark reminder that malnutrition is not just a health statistic—it is a matter of survival.
Adeniyi Olorunfunmi, a Public Affairs analyst wrote from Kaduna
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