By Justina Auta
International NGOs (INGO) providing humanitarian and development assistance in Nigeria have urged expansion of targeted support for 800,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women at risk of acute malnutrition.
They made the call at a news conference to commemorate the Africa Food and Nutrition Day organised by Save the Children (SCI) and other INGOs on Thursday in Abuja.
Mr Thierno Diallo, Country Director, Action Against Hunger Nigeria, said there was significant decline in food and nutrition security across Nigeria during the 2025 lean season across 26 states and the FCT.
This, he said, was according to Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Nigeria Acute Malnutrition Analysis (May 2024-April-2025) as cited by the World Food Programine (WFP) and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
“Thirty-one million people are projected to the in acute food and nutritional insecurity during the 2025 Jean season while 5.4 million children suffer from acute malnutrition.
“Similarly 3.5 million children under five suffer from Severe Acute Malnutrition SAML out of which 12 million require immediate life-saving treatment,” he said.
Diallo said that from October to December 600,000 children under the age of five were estimated to be at risk of severe Acute malnutrition (SAM) in Adamawa Borms, Katsina Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara.
He added that without access to lifesaving treatment, 96,000 of those children were likely to die, with over 1,000 dying every day.
He further said there was 32 per cent National Prevalence on Stunting among children under-fives, hitting more than 50 per cent in some areas in the northwest.
“Over 800.000 pregnant and breastfeeding women are at risk of acute malnutrition.
“Hunger is not just a risk; it is a crisis of rights. Food security and nutrition must be treated as nor negotiable for child survival growth, and future productivity,” he said.
Also, Dr Helen Idiong, Director, Program Quality & Influencing, Plan International, called for increased funding for lifesaving nutrition commodities such as Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) and Therapeutic Milk locally produced.
Idiong also called for stronger political commitment and policy enforcement to treat food and nutrition security as a fundamental human right.
“We need to expand targeted support for the 800,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women at risk of acute malnutrition to safeguard maternal and infant health.
“We must leverage the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF) to ensure we double the impact or the lives of the vulnerable children will be at greater risk.
She also advocated scaling up of food assistance, nutrition treatment, and livelihood support; local production of fortified foods.
“In the next three months jointly with Nigerian government, we must prevent the estimated 600,000 children under the age of five that will be at risk of severe SAM in Adamawa, Borno, Katsina, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara.
“Hunger is not just a lack of food-it’s a violation of dignity, health, and the right to the future.
“Food and nutrition security must be treated as a non-negotiable right. We urge federal leaders, state governors, and international partners to act now.
“No child should die from malnutrition, hunger or illness. These are preventable, treatable, and solvable.
“No child should die of hunger. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever,” she said.
Mr Duncan Harvey, Country Director, SCI, told newsmen that Nigeria was facing nationwide emergency due to escalating challenges of food insecurity and malnutrition, stressing the need to strengthen efforts to achieve food and nutrition security.
“With more than 31 million people facing acute food insecurity in 2025 makes it the largest food crisis globally,” he said.
Harvey, therefore, stressed the need to strengthen efforts towards achieving food and nutrition security. (NAN
