Economic crisis spikes malnourishment among 5.4m kids, UNICEF warns

• UNICEF seeks $250m with Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina in desperate situation
• U.S. mission provides malaria prevention medicine to 2.2m Nigerian children 

Cases of malnourished children and its many implications for the nation’s economy, especially among weak sub-nationals may rise beyond control as stakeholders yesterday called for urgent attention from the Federal, State and Local Governments.

This is as the United Nations Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF) disclosed that about 5.4 million under-five children are suffering from acute malnutrition in the Northwest and Northeast regions of Nigeria. This was disclosed yesterday by a UNICEF representative in the country, Ms Cristian Munduate, during a press briefing at the Command Guest House in Gusau, Zamfara State.

Munduate explained that there is a pressing crisis that affects millions of children in Zamfara and across the country. UNICEF, in assessing the pressing crisis, said over $250 million in funds with more than $100 million needed for Sokoto, Zamfara, and Katsina alone is required for vital services in nutrition, health, WASH, child protection, and education.

Medical experts and parents told The Guardian that the situation is now worsened by farmers abandoning the farms due to insecurity and prevailing economic crisis making farming implements, fertilizers and seeds out of reach of the average farmers.

At the Dr Karima Primary Healthcare in Tudun Wada, Gusau, Zamfara State yesterday, the facility was running out with hundreds of women and their children waiting to receive care for malnutrition. A similar situation was observed at the Ahmad Sani Yeriman Bakura Specialist Hospital in the state capital. At this referral facility, where children with severe cases across the state are kept, the record of mortality remained alarming despite the efforts being made by UNICEF and the state government.

To worsen the situation, cases of young women, who are 19 with their husbands in other parts of the country struggle to feed as well as older women who are still giving birth after 10 children were at the reference facility.

Sounding an alarm on the dire state of child welfare across the country, Munduate said in Zamfara alone, 250,000 children suffer from severe acute malnutrition (SAM) as nearly half of all children under five (45.2 per cent) are stunted, reflecting long-term under-nutrition.

The neonatal mortality rate is 42 deaths per 1,000 live births as only 21.5 per cent of pregnant women attended at least four antenatal visits, while institutional deliveries are just 15 per cent. Similarly, just 13 per cent of pregnant women have access to skilled birth attendants.

She disclosed that immunisation rates are critically low, with Penta 3 vaccine coverage at 9.6 per cent. Educational access is also concerning, with 62 per cent of children—over 700,000—out of school, and 60 per cent of girls married before the age of 18. Furthermore, only 31.4 per cent of children in Zamfara have their births registered, leaving many vulnerable and unaccounted for.

Munduate, while commending Zamfara State for maintaining its zero-polio status, a significant achievement given its history as a polio-endemic area in 2023, emphasised that achieving a polio-free Nigeria requires sustained efforts across all states.

“Polio cases in one state are not enough. We need the entire country to be at zero because the risk of spreading the virus remains high,” said Munduate. Even after one or two years of progress, a resurgence can occur if we don’t remain vigilant.”

While many malnourished children are receiving treatment, she said: “We visited stabilisation centres and saw firsthand the life-saving work being done for malnourished children. Some children who entered in critical condition are now recovering, but sadly, not all of them survive. This shows the urgency of prioritising child health,” she said.

Munduate pointed to a lack of information and education at the community level as a significant barrier to progress as she described meeting a 19-year-old mother with three children, illustrating the health toll of early and frequent childbirth on young women.

“Raising children requires not just resources but also knowledge. Many mothers are unaware of proper nutrition practices, such as the need for diverse diets. For example, exclusive breastfeeding is essential for the first six months, but beyond that, children need nutrient-rich foods like beans, not just staples like rice,” Munduate explained.

She called for increased community education efforts, particularly through radio campaigns, to disseminate critical information to households.

A medical expert at the specialist hospital, Nefisat Sani, said most farmers during the start of the rainy season, which is the planting season, take all their seeds to the farm for planting, worsening the hunger crisis for their families.

According to her, while there is always an upward trend during the planting seasons, the recent economic crisis has changed the frequency of the crisis.

Sani noted that while there has been improvement in the crisis, the situation remained severe as the hospital sometimes records over a 20 per cent mortality ratio due to late reports of cases.

A nursing mother, Aisha Aliyu, who spoke at Dr Karima Primary Healthcare, lamented over the capacity of her family to feed themselves, insisting that the situation is worsening.

This is coming amidst a warning by the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) that the deterioration of food security in Nigeria will push over 33.1 million people into high levels of food insecurity in the next lean season (June-August).

MEANWHILE, the United States has said that it provided 2.2 million children between the ages of three to 59 months malaria prevention medicine through various campaigns, adding that 13 million girls, aged nine to 14 across Nigeria accessed Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccinations to help prevent cancer through its support.

In a statement by the United States Diplomatic Missions in Nigeria, in its 2024 ‘Report to the Nigerian People’ has said that it has supported the fight against human trafficking by providing educational, medical and financial resources to vulnerable women and girls in Edo State.

America also delivered services to 1,568, 473 people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), screened 19.8 million citizens for tuberculosis and trained 55 public health emergency managers to respond to cholera and Lassa fever outbreaks.

On the economy, the report said they closed seven deals worth $1.5 billion, creating jobs and expanding Nigeria’s economy in key sectors driven by the American government through Prosper Africa.

Through its public diplomacy sections, it facilitated cultural and educational exchanges of more than 400 Nigerians and Americans.

According to the report, EducationUSA advised and promoted education with over 80,000 prospective students and helped some access $30 million in scholarships. They also delivered over 3.6 million teaching and learning materials to classrooms.

On security, America reports that it provided $40 million in military security assistance and capacity building to Nigeria in 2024. It added that about 60 members of the Nigerian military travelled to America to attend professional military schools, and it also deployed early warning software in partnership with the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution that helped identify and respond to emerging conflicts quickly and effectively.

The mission also provided over $50 million in assistance for criminal justice and civilian security reforms and expanded legal aid services to over 5,000 Nigerians in courts and correctional centres.

According to them, farmers accessed over $55 million in agriculture-related financing through their government support.