CHALLENGES OF NUTRITION IN NIGERIA, A WAY FORWARD
It cannot be disputed that nutrition is very essential for good health and it promotes a healthy lifestyle. Despite these known facts, malnutrition, especially in children is a major challenge in Nigeria. Malnutrition is a condition that occurs when people consistently do not consume or absorb the right amounts and types of food and essential nutrients. Malnutrition among Nigerian children is a serious problem throughout the country. Each year about 1 million Nigerian children die before their 5th birthday (New York: UN, 2013). Malnutrition contributes to nearly half of these deaths. Almost 30 percent of Nigerian children are underweight, meaning they don’t weigh enough for their age and the rates of stunting in Nigeria have stagnated for more than a decade (Calverton, MD: ICF International, 2009). About 2 in 5 Nigerian children are stunted, with rates of stunting varying throughout the country. This is more than double the proportion of neighboring Ghanaian children who are underwe...