A Revolution for Nutrition in Nigeria; A Time of Awakening

As most of all Nigerians know, Nigerian food offers a rich blend of traditional African foods that provides the basic nutrients needed by the body. But even though varieties of nutritious foods are grown in Nigeria, malnutrition is still very common today. Malnutrition refers to deficiencies, excess, or imbalances in a person’s intake of energy and/or nutrients. It refers to undernutrition or overnutrition.

In Nigeria, when we talk about malnutrition, we most commonly mean undernutrition, that is, not getting enough nutrients, which results in stunting, being underweight, wasting, or a combination of all three. Undernutrition makes children more vulnerable to infection, more prone to diseases, and increases their risk of death. Every year, over 1 million Nigerian children die before their fifth birthday and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) identifies malnutrition as the underlying cause of morbidity and mortality in more than 50 percent of these children. This figure places Nigeria as the country with the third largest number of chronically undernourished children globally. The Minister of State, Ministry of Budget and National Planning, Hajiya Zainab Ahmed, who spoke at the 2017 Nutrition Week, with the theme: "Improved Nutrition and Empowerment: Healthy Diet, Healthy Living” lamented that, ”If nothing is done, one in five (500,000) children will die annually.”

According to an evaluation report by Children Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), Nigeria has the second-largest number of wasted children globally and the highest percentage of wasted children whose case is severe. In some states, the burden of severe acute malnutrition is as high as half a million children.

 Though severe acute malnutrition is a nationwide problem, it is clear that a significant number of children suffering from an acute stage of malnutrition are in northern Nigeria. Nine of the North-East and North-West states have rates of child wasting that exceed 80 percent. While most Nigerians do not seem to be overly concerned about these figures, this could be the most challenging long-term impact of the security situation in the North of Nigeria. “Zero hunger” was one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals adopted in 2015 by world leaders, yet, since then, not enough has been being done in Nigeria to ensure the target is achieved.

You might be wondering, why are children dying of malnutrition in a country where there is such an abundance of food crops? One of the reasons why malnutrition is prevalent in the country today is poor access to information on nutrition and negligence. If you are negligent towards the health of your body, you will certainly not concentrate on proper food habits, and that will only lead to malnutrition. Another reason is no balanced diet. Malnutrition is caused as a result of a lack of a balanced and healthy diet that has nutrition. A healthy diet means different things to different people. In children’s nutrition, an adequate diet aims to promote healthy growth and development. Adult nutrition focuses on attaining or maintaining optimal health and preventing chronic degenerative diseases of complex causation. What can be done to eradicate malnutrition in Nigeria to a minimal degree?

 First of all, Awareness should be raised throughout the country about why malnutrition needs to be dealt with if our children are not only to survive, but to thrive, and point out how important it is for the government at every level to put in place additional and sustainable funding mechanisms to ensure that no child in Nigeria continues to suffer from severe acute malnutrition.

It's really high time we woke up from slumber. One million children are dying every year in Nigeria. That is over 2,700 children dying every day in Nigeria. We cannot turn a blind eye to them. Our political officeholders must be made aware. Our state governments must be held to account. But for them to take action, you, as a Nigerian, must care. Let's awaken ourselves to the significance of Nutrition in our country, Nigeria.

 Also, we should support and encourage mothers to breastfeed their babies exclusively for the first six months of life.

Most importantly, get close to a Certified Nutritionist or Registered Dietitian who can help you in educating your family about the correct feeding practices and help you attain the state of optimal nutrition and a healthy lifestyle.

 Why is this important?

Most people know good nutrition and physical activity can help maintain a healthy weight. But the benefits of good nutrition go beyond weight. Good nutrition can help:

⏺Reduce the risk of some diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, some cancers, and osteoporosis,

⏺Reduce high blood pressure,

⏺Lower high cholesterol,

⏺Improve your well-being,

⏺Improve your ability to fight off illness,

⏺Improve your ability to recover from illness or injury,

⏺Increase your energy level and so many more.

 So, Take Action Today!!! And always remember that Good nutrition means Good Health.