An expert has raised concerns over the rising prevalence of childhood obesity in Nigeria, warning that it could worsen the nation’s burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
The call was made during the 2025 Gatefield Health Summit in Abuja on Thursday, where a specialist discussed the impact of poor dietary habits, reduced physical activity, and the growing consumption of processed foods among children.
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Rising obesity amid undernutrition
Speaking on Nigeria’s burden of malnutrition, Felicia Anumah, Director of the Centre for Diabetes Studies, University of Abuja, said undernutrition and overnutrition now coexist across communities, with more children becoming overweight or obese due to lifestyle and dietary changes.
Ms Anumah explained that while UNICEF and others historically focused on undernutrition in children, the rise of overnutrition, fueled by rapid urbanisation and the shift from traditional diets to calorie-dense, nutrient-poor foods, has worsened the situation.
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She cited a 2020 study across 20 secondary schools in the Federal Capital Territory which found that about 32.9 per cent of over 3,000 children examined were either overweight or obese.
“These are the future adults living with diabetes, hypertension, and other non-communicable diseases,” she said.
She described the trend as “a time bomb waiting to explode.”
Ms Anumah linked the trend to poor nutrition education, reduced physical activity, and increased access to processed food and sugary drinks.
She noted that by “civilising” our food, we have also adopted the diseases of civilisation, and that the most cost-effective solution for the country is prevention, which requires political will, education, and stronger public health systems.
What data says
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), overweight and obesity refer to abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that poses a risk to health.
A body mass index (BMI) above 25 is classified as overweight, while a BMI above 30 is considered obese.
The agency estimates that in 2019, elevated BMI contributed to about five million deaths from NCDs worldwide.
WHO data also show that rates of overweight and obesity have continued to rise among both adults and children.
Between 1990 and 2022, the proportion of children and adolescents aged five to 19 years living with obesity increased fourfold, from two per cent to eight per cent globally, while adult obesity more than doubled, rising from seven per cent to 16 per cent.
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Reliable national-level data for Nigeria are limited. Even the most recent Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) does not provide comprehensive statistics on childhood obesity.
However, a 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis of population-based studies published by the National Library of Medicine, titled “Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity in Nigeria”, found that among Nigerian adults, the prevalence of overweight is 27.6 per cent, while 14.5 per cent are classified as obese.
The study also noted that women have a higher prevalence of obesity (23 per cent) compared to men (10.9 per cent), and that rates are higher in the southern regions of the country compared to the north.
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