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Malnutrition: 400,000 children in Nigeria likely to die of ‘wasting’ – USAID warns
Report from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reveals that over 2.7 million children under the age of five in Nigeria suffer from severe acute malnutrition called wasting annually.
The report also indicated that only two out of 10 of these children have access to the needed treatment including the Ready -To -Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF).
RUTF is an energy-densed, mineral and vitamin enriched food that requires no preparation and specifically designed to treat Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM)
To this end, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has warned that if nothing is done to address wasting, 400,000 of these children which represents 20% will die.
Speaking at a Nutrition Stakeholders’ Consultation Workshop on Wasting Management on Thursday in Abuja, USAID’s Nutrition Specialist, Ebenezer Oluloto noted that the direct and indirect causes of death for
most children under the age of five are linked to malnutrition especially wasting.
According to him, the causes of wasting in Nigeria range from childhood illness and inadequate diet to poor access to food, care, as well as maternal and child health nutrition services.
Oluloto who emphasized that a child’s nutritional status is linked to the nutritional status of the mother before, during and after pregnancy stressed the need for improvement on maternal nutrition to reduce wasting and incidence of low birth weight.
“Malnutrition has far reaching impact on the most vulnerable populations most especially women, adolescent age group, and children within the first 1000 days.
“The intervention has to start from the day the child is conceived till the second birthday of the child”, he said.
The USAID Nutrition Specialist also expressed concerns on the challenges RUTF local producers face in importing raw materials.
He further assured of USAID’s commitment to assist government in combating malnutrition in the country.
He said “Addressing Malnutrition is critical to improving health, education and economic development.
“We look forward to improved networking and actionable key next steps (Immediate, mid-term and long term) to address wasting and scale up sustainable investment to prevent, detect, treat child wasting as well as follow up treated cases. This is in line with global action country population roadmap to reduce wasting incidence to less than 5% by 2025 and 3% by 2030”.
Also speaking, representative from the Federal Ministry of Health and Acting Head of Nutrition, Mr John Uruakpa said although a lot have been achieved in the improvement of Nutrition, a lot more need to be done.
He said “We need to do something different at least if we can’t eradicate it, we can come down to 1%”.
It is expected that at the end of the workshop a workable document will be developed to assist in improving nutrition for a healthy, productive and resilient Nigeria.
Participants believe that findings from the workshop will serve as a guide to the government of Nigeria as well as other implementing partners in establishing a specific and contextualize strategy that is workable in Nigeria to produce better result.
The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio has commended Senator Basheer Lado, for redefining the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Senate Matters, stating that, for the first time in a long while, the office is fully meeting its expectations.
Speaking during his visit to the office of the Special Adviser to the President on Senate Matters accompanied by distinguished senators, Akpabio described the visit as a significant step in strengthening Executive-Legislative relations.
He praised the Special Adviser and his team for maintaining the confidentiality of communications between the President and Senate, and also, ensuring a seamless flow of information. He further emphasized that the office is now more result-oriented.
Additionally, he acknowledged the office’s diligent efforts in tracking all Bills passed by the Senate and assented to by the President, underscoring its critical role in legislative efficiency.
Expressing his satisfaction, Akpabio noted that he and the Senate delegation were proud of the office’s achievements and looked forward to sustaining the existing cordial and productive relationship between the Executive and the Legislature throughout the administration.
In recognition of his exemplary leadership, Senator Lado presented an Award of Excellence to Senator Akpabio.
In his remarks, Senator Lado reaffirmed his commitment to fostering a harmonious working relationship between the Executive and the Legislature. He lauded Akpabio for his unwavering dedication to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda—defending it with clarity, articulating it with passion, and advancing it through legislative action.
Ahead of the 2025 political party Congresses, Plateau State Chapter of the Labour Party (LP) stakeholders has endorsed the defection of the candidate of the party in the 2023 general elections and the leader of Justice and Rebirth, Barr Gyang Zi SAN, to the All Progressive Congress (APC) with the view to key into the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
They made the call in a communique issued at the end of the enlarge meeting of the stakeholders from Plateau North senatorial zone at the residence of Barr. Gyang Zi in Rayfield Jos.
The communique which was jointly signed by Dr. Ayiki Sati Director General, Justice and Rebirth and
Barr. Samuel Galadima- 2024 Chairmanship candidate of Jos East LGA among others said the call became imperative on the sideline of the leadership tussle at the National Level which violates the core principles and values for the formation of the Party as an alternative for Nigeria for the protection, sustenance of democracy and Social Justice.
They regretted that the leadership tussle has also divided the party into factions leaving party loyalists and supporters in the state of despondency and confusion not knowing where they belong.
Our correspondent reports that the gathering included LP candidates from the 2023/2024 general elections, party executives, and support groups from the six local government areas of the Northern Senatorial District.
Besides, the focus of the discussions was centered on the state of the Labour Party at both national and state levels and the need for political realignment ahead of the 2025 party congresses and conventions.
The stakeholders further frowned at the structural weaknesses in LP and resolved to advise Barr Gyang Zi, to leave the party and join the APC while expressing confidence that the APC would provide him with a platform to advance good governance in the state .
The communique also emphasized the importance of political consultations, particularly with APC leaders at both state and national levels. It called for collaboration with Plateau State APC leaders, including Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda Goshwe, Sen. Simon Bako Lalong, Sen. Diket Plang, and other party officials.
According to the communique, supporters of Barr Gyang Zi also pledged to mobilize grassroots support for the APC, stating that their leader’s defection would strengthen the party in the state.
They urged the APC leadership to formally receive Gyang Zi and his supporters into the party, marking their official transition from the Labour Party.
Stakeholders also reiterated the need for inclusive governance, ensuring that youths, women, and less privileged individuals are sidelined in the democratic process and accordingly officially denounced their membership in the Labour Party, declaring their support for the APC.
They assured that all LP structures aligned with Gyang Zi would follow suit, shifting their loyalty to the ruling party in the state and at the National level.
Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, has extended his heartfelt felicitation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, on the occasion of his 73rd birthday.
Governor Ododo in statement signed by his special adviser on media, Ismaila Isah described President Tinubu as a statesman whose leadership and dedication to national development continue to inspire hope and progress across Nigeria.
He commended the President’s unwavering commitment to the Renewed Hope Agenda, which is driving economic reforms, strengthening national unity, and advancing the nation’s democratic values.
“On behalf of the government and people of Kogi State, I celebrate Mr President and our father on this special day. Your resilience, visionary leadership, and patriotism have laid a strong foundation for Nigeria’s growth. We deeply appreciate your tireless efforts in repositioning our country for sustainable development,” Governor Ododo stated.
He further reaffirmed his support for President Tinubu’s administration and prayed for continued wisdom, strength, and good health for the President as he leads Nigeria toward greater prosperity, sustainable development, peace and stability.
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