The federal government has voiced worry that around 4.4 million children in Northern Nigeria are malnourished.
Mrs Ladidi Bako-Aiyebusi, Director of the Federal Ministry of Health’s Nutrition Department, stated yesterday in Keffi, Nasarawa State, during an advocacy meeting with nutrition experts and stakeholders on strategic advocacy policy for nutrition in Nigeria, that Nigeria is facing a severe crisis of triple burden of malnutrition.
She stated that the 2021 National Food Consumption and Micronutrient Survey report indicates that over 4.4 million children in the North East and North West regions are malnourished.
According to her, this is evidenced by widespread macro and micronutrient insufficiency, undernutrition, and overnutrition, all of which have a substantial impact on health and socioeconomic development.
She identified malnutrition reasons as inadequate access to food, poor food intake, incorrect feeding and caring practices, economic and political systems, low socioeconomic position, insufficient health seeking behaviours, and a low level of education among the population.
The nutritional director, on the other hand, stated that, globally, advocacy has been identified as a productive tool in promoting the interests of individuals or situations, particularly when it is evidence-based; thus, nutrition, like every other component of health, must be promoted through evidence-based advocacy.
She continued, “It is anticipated that the National Advocacy Strategic approach would improve capacity building, integration, and collaboration in addition to creating an investment case for tackling nutrition in the Health Sector.
In an interview, Mr. Kunle Ishola, Program Officer at CS-SUNN, praised the ministry’s initiative and stated that advocacy engagement cannot be successful unless certain steps are taken; for this reason, CS-SUNN is providing technical and financial support for the stakeholders meeting.
He explained that CS-SUNN’s support is intended to help participants create a successful nutrition advocacy paper that would shift the narrative in Nigeria.
“If there is a route to go and it does not go that way, don’t expect to see results.”So, after pushing nutrition concerns for years, we believed there was a need to establish a clear roadmap for nutrition advocacy in the country.
“The essence of the meeting is to come up with elements that makes effective advocacy on nutrition issues,” he told me.
Also speaking, Mr William Anyebe, a participant, stated that while there is a lot of nutrition advocacy going on, there is no document that guides the process, therefore the conference was held to package a document that will guide how nutrition advocacy is carried out in Nigeria going forward.
“Considering that malnutrition is a very big issue in Nigeria, it is important to come up with a document that makes it very clear so that all persons involved in the advocacy for improved nutrition are properly guided,” he indicated.
Another member, Prof. Salisu Abubakar, Vice Chairman of the National Nutrition Technical Working Group, stated that the document will help nutrition advocates integrate and collaborate more effectively for better funding and service delivery.
He added the strategy document will also include novel approaches to addressing undernutrition in rural areas and overnutrition in urban areas.
In Essence
Malnutrition in Northern Nigeria is rooted in a range of factors, including inadequate access to nutritious food, poor feeding practices, low socioeconomic status, and insufficient health services.
The impact of these issues is particularly severe in the North East and North West regions, where conflict and instability have exacerbated poverty and disrupted food supply chains. This situation not only threatens the immediate health and survival of millions of children but also poses long-term risks to the region’s economic and social development.
The government’s emphasis on evidence-based advocacy as a tool to address this crisis is crucial. Effective advocacy can drive policy changes, increase funding, and foster collaboration among various stakeholders, all of which are necessary to combat malnutrition.
The development of a National Advocacy Strategic approach, as discussed in the meeting, is a step in the right direction. This strategy aims to build capacity, integrate efforts, and create a compelling investment case for nutrition within the health sector.
