Nigeria has become the country where Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) treats the highest number of malnourished children globally, the medical charity’s country representative, Ahmed Aldikhari, has disclosed.
Mr Aldikhari said that in 2024 alone, MSF admitted nearly 300,000 children with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) into its outpatient units across northern Nigeria.
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“This accounts for more than half of all MSF admissions worldwide,” he stated on Thursday in Abuja.
He was speaking at the High-Level Conference on Mobilising Against Malnutrition in Katsina and North-West, an event convened by the Katsina State Government and MSF.
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The MSF chief attributed the crisis to Nigeria’s demographic weight and the persistent “hunger gap” affecting northern Sahelian regions.
The conference also had in attendance Vice President Kashim Shettima, who described child malnutrition as a “silent crisis” and a “national tragedy” that costs the country an estimated $56 billion in human capital annually.
Mr Shettima, represented by his Senior Special Adviser on Public Health, Uju Rochas-Anwukah, lauded the Katsina State governor for his proactive measures but warned that the nation’s future was at stake.
“When a nation’s children suffer from stunted growth, its future too becomes stunted. Every dollar invested in nutrition yields a return of twenty-three dollars. Nutrition is not a cost; it is the most strategic investment in our nation’s future,” the vice president said.
He reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to the Nutrition 774 Initiative, aimed at decentralising intervention programmes.
Mr Shettima urged leaders to ensure the conference results in tangible outcomes, not just discussions.
“This conference must not end with communiqués and photographs. Let it end with commitments and timelines. The child in Dutsin-Ma, the mother in Jibia, the family in Funtua — they cannot afford our delays,” he urged.
Katsina investing N14bn in health, to build RUTF factories – Radda
In his address, the Governor of Katsina State, Dikko Radda, said his administration was moving from “awareness to action” to confront the emergency.
Mr Radda announced that the state government has invested over N14 billion in the health sector in 2024, achieving 87 per cent budget performance.
He outlined several specific interventions, including:
A N1 billion contribution to the Child Nutrition Fund in partnership with UNICEF between 2023 and 2025.
The upgrade of 260 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) and seven general hospitals.
The employment of over 1,600 frontline health workers.
The enrolment of 504,000 residents, including vulnerable households, under the state’s health insurance scheme.
READ ALSO: VP Shettima, Governor Radda rally citizens against malnutrition
Governor Radda also revealed plans for sustainable local solutions, including the establishment of factories to produce Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) and Tom-Brown (a nutrient-rich flour) in Katsina.
“To ensure sustainable solutions, we are setting up local production of Tom-Brown and RUTF to stimulate our economy and create jobs for our youth,” he said.
The governor added that his government is considering approving a six-month maternity leave for nursing mothers and ensuring the full implementation of the Child Protection Law to address social factors contributing to malnutrition.
The event drew high-level participation from the diplomatic corps, including the German Ambassador, Annette Günther; the European Union Ambassador, Gauthier Mignot; and the United Nations Resident Coordinator, Mohammed Fall, among others.
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