96,000 Nigerian children at risk of death from malnutrition – Forum

Members of the Nigerian International Non-Governmental Organisations Forum have raised the alarm over the worsening food and nutrition crisis in the country, warning that about 96,000 children in six northern states are at risk of death due to acute malnutrition.

Speaking at a joint press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, the Country Director of Action Against Hunger, Nigeria, Thierno Diallo, described the situation as a nationwide emergency.

He revealed that over 31 million Nigerians are projected to face acute food insecurity in 2025, making it the largest food crisis globally.

The warning aligns with recent alerts from global agencies.

The United Nations Children’s Fund, in June 2024, reported that around 11 million Nigerian children under five are experiencing severe food poverty — consuming less than two of the eight essential food groups — making them up to 50 percent more likely to suffer from life-threatening wasting.

Similarly, the World Food Programme, in November 2024, called for urgent life-saving support in Nigeria, warning that about 33 million people could face acute food insecurity by 2025 unless immediate action is taken.

The agency linked the crisis to persistent conflict in the North, inflationary pressures, and climate-induced shocks disrupting agriculture and livelihoods.

In the next three months, an estimated 600,000 children under the age of five will be at risk of severe acute malnutrition in six northern states — Adamawa, Borno, Katsina, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara.

“Without access to lifesaving treatment, 96,000 of these children are likely to die. That’s over 1,000 children dying every day,” Diallo warned.

He further noted that 32 percent of Nigerian children under five are stunted, with rates exceeding 50 percent in parts of the North-West, while over 800,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women are also at risk of acute malnutrition.

Diallo stressed that hunger and malnutrition represent not only a humanitarian emergency but also a crisis of rights.

“Food security and nutrition must be treated as non-negotiable for child survival, growth, and future productivity. No child should die from a preventable cause such as hunger or malnutrition,” he said.

In his address, the Country Director of Save the Children International (Nigeria), Duncan Harvey, emphasised the urgency of the situation, noting that the joint statement released by the Forum was endorsed by more than a dozen international organizations.

Harvey said the joint briefing was aimed at drawing attention to the seriousness of the food security and malnutrition crisis affecting millions of Nigerians.

Also speaking, the Director of Programme Quality and Influencing at Plan International Nigeria, Helen Idiong, called for an urgent increase in funding and stronger political commitment to combat the crisis threatening millions of vulnerable Nigerians, especially children and women.

“Severe malnutrition has irreversible effects on physical growth, cognitive development, and economic productivity — all of which are critical for building national human capital,” Idiong explained.

She, however, advocated greater investment in long-term development to break the recurring cycle of food and nutrition crises in Nigeria.

“Food and nutrition security must be treated as a fundamental human right. Only through sustained political will, resource commitment, and collaboration can we reverse this alarming trend,” she added.

The Forum further called on stakeholders to adopt practical measures to combat the crisis, including the establishment of shock-responsive social safety nets to protect vulnerable households from future shocks.

Other recommendations include scaling up food assistance, nutrition treatment, and livelihood support, as well as strengthening collaboration on the Cadre Harmonisé and Integrated Food Security Phase Classification frameworks, to inform more effective response strategies, among others.