For millions of Nigerian children, the right to grow, learn, and thrive is under increasing threat as poor nutrition persists across the country. New data suggest the crisis may be worsening.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed renewed concern over Nigeria’s malnutrition burden, highlighting that key indicators have either plateaued or deteriorated since 2018.
In a recent post on X, WHO Nigeria’s Country Representative, Dr. Pavel Ursu, revealed he met with the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, chaired by Chike John Okafor, to strengthen collaboration aimed at reversing the troubling trend.
Data from the 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) show that child wasting has risen from 7% to 8%, underweight prevalence has jumped from 22% to 27%, and stunting has increased from 37% to 40%. Meanwhile, exclusive breastfeeding rates remain low at just 29%.
These figures paint a stark picture for Africa’s most populous nation, where undernutrition continues to impair children’s physical growth, cognitive development, and long-term productivity.
WHO emphasized that with stronger political commitment, evidence-based policies, and improved nutrition systems, Nigeria can still make significant progress in protecting the health and future of its children.
The recent engagement with lawmakers highlights growing urgency at the policy level, but experts stress that sustained investment and coordinated action will be essential to translate statistics into meaningful improvements for children nationwide.