Nutrition experts have raised alarm over the worsening adolescent nutrition crisis in Nigeria and called for urgent and targeted actions to address the problem.

The call comes as data from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reveals that the number of undernourished adolescent girls and women of reproductive age in Nigeria has increased from 5.6 million in 2018 to 7.3 million in 2021, with nearly 60 percent of adolescents experiencing food insecurity.

It was also revealed that data shows anaemia has become the leading cause of reduced lifespan among boys and girls aged 10 to 19.

Unfortunately, about 105 million children and youths under the age of 17 are excluded from national nutrition policies that primarily focus on children under five and pregnant women.

Speaking on the growing health challenge in Abuja yesterday, Mrs. Oluyemisi Akinsola, a leading nutrition expert, stated that adolescence is a critical window to shape the future health and productivity of our population, yet we continue to overlook it,” she said.

She emphasised that the crisis is visible in both rural and urban areas, where adolescents are increasingly consuming unhealthy diets high in starchy, sugary, and ultra-processed foods while skipping nutrient-rich meals. She described it as a “double burden” of malnutrition —a troubling mix of undernutrition, stunting, and rising obesity levels among adolescents, often within the same households.

“Girls face even greater risks. The combined pressures of puberty, gender-based food inequality, poor menstrual hygiene, and early childbearing create deep nutritional disadvantages. Despite these realities, national health strategies barely mention adolescent nutrition, and programs specifically tailored to their needs remain scarce,” she added.

Akinsola recalled that in 2021, the Nutrition Society of Nigeria sounded the alarm on this gap, urging government agencies to develop adolescent-specific nutrition interventions and improve data collection for evidence-based policies. The society also called for the introduction of minimum intervention packages, especially for pregnant adolescent mothers.

The nutrition expert advocated for the incorporation of nutrition education into secondary school curricula, stating that young people need to learn how to make informed food choices, read food labels, and understand the long-term consequences of poor dietary habits.

“Adolescents are not just the leaders of tomorrow, they are the health indicators of today,” she added. “Failing to invest in them means condemning a generation to preventable diseases, maternal complications, and lifelong productivity loss.”

Akinsola also called for adolescent-friendly health services that offer iron and folic acid supplementation as well as broader reforms to empower adolescent girls, including access to menstrual hygiene products, initiatives to keep girls in school, enforcement of child marriage laws, and investments in community-based youth programs.