Friday, October 3, 2025 - The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has raised alarm over Nigeria’s deepening malnutrition crisis, revealing that more than 35 percent of children under the age of five are affected. The association described the situation as a major public health challenge with grave consequences for the country’s future.
In a post on X on Thursday, October 2, NARD warned that
malnutrition contributes heavily to child mortality and leaves long-term damage
on cognitive development, disease resistance, and national productivity.
“Malnutrition contributes significantly to child mortality. It also impacts
cognitive development, disease susceptibility, and national productivity,” the
group said.
The doctors highlighted ongoing interventions such as the
distribution of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), community-based
management of acute malnutrition (CMAM), and Infant and Young Child Feeding
(IYCF) counselling. According to NARD, these strategies have been shown through
research to significantly improve recovery and survival rates. “NARD members
are at the forefront of implementing and researching malnutrition interventions
across Nigeria,” the statement added, while urging support for sustainable
nutritional programmes to protect children’s health nationwide.
The warning comes after the Federal Government itself
described the crisis as “a national emergency” in August. Special Assistant to
the President on Public Health, Uju Rochas-Anwuka, revealed that annual losses
linked to malnutrition exceed $1.5 billion, undermining human capital
development and weakening the economy.
Earlier in July, Vice President Kashim Shettima also sounded
the alarm at a National Summit on Nutrition and Food Security in Abuja, stating
that nearly 40 percent of children under five were deprived of adequate
nutrition. “It is a reminder that food insecurity is not only about hunger. It
affects whether people can afford, access, and accept food that meets
nutritional needs. It is about education and human capital,” he said, stressing
the need for urgent collective action.
The humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF)
reported in late July that more than 600 malnourished children had died in
northern Nigeria within just six months. The group said cases of the most
severe malnutrition rose by 208 percent between January and June compared with
the same period last year, citing reduced foreign aid, rising living costs, and
insecurity as key drivers of the crisis.
NARD’s intervention underscores the urgency of the
situation, with calls for immediate, coordinated action to prevent further loss
of young lives and protect the nation’s future
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