…UN, FG, humanitarian agencies demand stronger action as MSF marks 30 years of medical service in Nigeria
…As MSF marks 30 years of medical service in Nigeria

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has called for a stronger national and international response to malnutrition, disease outbreaks, conflict and displacement in Nigeria, warning that treating emergencies alone will not resolve the growing health crisis facing vulnerable communities.

The call came yesterday as MSF marked three decades of humanitarian and medical intervention in Nigeria, with government officials and the United Nations commending the organisation for its sustained work in some of the country’s most difficult and underserved communities.

Speaking at the event, MSF’s Country Representative Dr. Abdulkadir Armiye disclosed that the organisation treated 425,634 children for acute malnutrition in 2025 alone, describing the figure as a stark indication of the scale of the emergency, particularly in northern Nigeria.

Armiye emphasized that the challenge goes beyond providing treatment, adding that children weakened by malnutrition were more vulnerable to disease, while conflict and displacement frequently cut families off from food, healthcare and other essential services.

He identified malaria, cholera, diphtheria, measles and neglected diseases such as normal among the continuing health concerns requiring sustained intervention

“We cannot treat our way out of it. We must also prevent it,” the Country Representative said.
Armiye observed that MSF began its operations in Nigeria in 1996, responding to a meningitis epidemic in Kano, Bauchi and Katsina states, adding that over the past three decades, its operations have expanded beyond outbreak response to include maternal and paediatric healthcare, nutrition, vaccination, surgery, tuberculosis and HIV care, as well as emergency assistance to communities affected by conflict and displacement.

Armiye said the organisation’s three decades of service had been defined by medical interventions, emergency response and partnership with communities and government authorities.

He said MSF began its operations in Nigeria in 1996 in response to a meningitis epidemic affecting Kano, Bauchi and Katsina states.

Armiye noted that what started as an emergency response had since evolved into a broad medical programme covering maternal and paediatric healthcare, nutrition, vaccination, surgery, tuberculosis and HIV treatment, as well as emergency interventions for communities affected by conflict and displacement.

According to him, MSF currently operates projects across nine states, working with the Ministry of Health at federal, state and local government levels, as well as humanitarian partners.

The Country Representative said the trust placed in MSF by Nigerian communities remained one of the organisation’s most important achievements.

He said, “Thirty years on, that principle still guides every one of our teams in Nigeria,” the representative said, referring to MSF’s founding commitment to providing medical care according to need, irrespective of nationality, religion, ethnicity, political affiliation or social status.
Armiye stated that the organisation was proud of its 30 years in Nigeria, humbled by the trust of communities and conscious of the work that remains.

“We do not intend to do it alone,” the representative said.

Also speaking, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Elsie Attafuah, said the anniversary should serve not only as an occasion to celebrate MSF’s contribution but also as a reminder of the conditions that continue to drive humanitarian need.

Attafuah said the more than 400,000 children treated for malnutrition by MSF in 2025 reflected communities struggling with insecurity, rising costs, disrupted livelihoods and limited access to essential services.

She urged stronger coordination among government, humanitarian organisations and development partners, stressing that humanitarian assistance must complement longer-term investments in health, peace, security and development.

According to her, three priorities should guide the next phase of collaboration: protecting people and their access to healthcare; linking emergency assistance with prevention and sustained services; and investing in Nigerian leadership and institutional capacity.

“A reopened clinic needs trained staff and medicines. Families returning to farming need safety and access to markets,” she said, stressing that recovery must translate into tangible improvements in people’s lives.

Attafuah said Nigeria had demonstrated that recovery was possible where government, communities and partners worked together to restore basic services and livelihoods.

She called for greater investment in peace-building, health systems and local capacity, alongside continued protection of humanitarian access and medical neutrality.

In his remarks, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, said that the MSF had played a significant role in communities affected by conflict, displacement, disease outbreaks, malnutrition and other humanitarian emergencies in the country.

The SGF who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ecological Project Office, Dr. Aishetu Gogo Ndayako Mohammed observed that the organisation’s experience in emergency response, maternal and child healthcare, nutrition and disease control offered valuable lessons for strengthening Nigeria’s health system.

On his part, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, also commended MSF’s contribution to Nigeria’s humanitarian and health response.

He emphasised the importance of sustained collaboration between government, MSF and other partners in addressing the country’s humanitarian and development challenges.

Bugudu who was represented by the Director of Internal Cooperation at the Federal Ministry of Budget, Economic Planning and Development, Dr. Sampson Ebimaro, said the government would continue to work with MSF and its partners to strengthen health interventions, improve coordination and support systems capable of delivering sustainable services to vulnerable populations.
He noted that MSF treated more than 444,000 children for malnutrition in 2025, including over 353,000 through outpatient feeding programmes and more than 90,000 in stabilisation centres.

Bugudu also noted MSF treated more than 341,000 malaria patients, assisted over 35,590 deliveries and conducted 224 fistula surgeries while responding to outbreaks of cholera, measles, diphtheria and Lassa fever.
Bagudu said the government’s responsibility was to ensure that humanitarian interventions complemented national priorities and strengthened local capacity.

“The ultimate measure of our success is not how many interventions we deliver, but whether we build the capacity of Nigerian institutions to deliver those interventions and sustain them whenever MSF decides to hand over operations to the host state,” he said

Bugudu emphasized that that development gains reach communities facing the greatest difficulties, particularly those affected by conflict, displacement and poverty.

The government, he said, would continue to support partnerships aimed at strengthening healthcare delivery and ensuring that vulnerable communities were not left behind.