Even though the Right to Food Act was passed in 2023 and requires the government to guarantee food security, millions of Nigerians still suffer from hunger and malnutrition.

There have been reports of a sharp rise in the number of severely malnourished children in need of treatment in Northern Nigeria, where food insecurity is made worse by economic hardships, poor policy execution, and insecurity.

According to the Nigeria Situation Report from the World Food Programme (WFP), 11 million people in six states in northeastern and northwest Nigeria would experience severe food insecurity by 2025.

Millions of people struggled to obtain food and vital nourishment as a result of the crisis, which was ascribed to mass relocation, climate shocks, rising food and fuel prices, and ongoing insecurity.

According to a UNICEF report, one in three Nigerian children under five, or about 11 million, live in extreme food poverty, which increases their risk of developing life-threatening conditions by 50%. The report also noted that the main causes of child food poverty are poor nutrition, aggressive marketing of ultra-processed foods, and financial difficulties.

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported treating over 300,000 malnourished children in 2024 alone, a 25% increase over 2023.

Of these, 250,000 were treated through outpatient programs in seven states: Borno, Bauchi, Katsina, Kano, Sokoto, Zamfara, and Kebbi, while 75,000 needed critical inpatient care.

Malnutrition is getting worse, as seen by the worrisome increase in admissions that MSF has seen, surpassing prior years in all of its treatment centers, according to Dr. Simba Tirima, country representative for the humanitarian organization.

It said that a number of causes, such as growing food costs, insecurity that impacts farming operations, and climate-related shocks like flooding that have resulted in large crop losses, are contributing to the issue.

“We will struggle to effectively treat malnourished children without an adequate supply of therapeutic foods, which could lead to preventable fatalities,” Tirima said.

With a 250-bed inpatient facility and three outpatient feeding centers in Bauchi State, MSF clarified that it had started storing supplies prior to the peak malnutrition season. The organization expressed concern that a reduction in funding for other humanitarian organizations could put additional pressure on its ability to respond.

In order to solve the situation, it demanded immediate government action, emphasizing the necessity of more robust primary healthcare services, increased financing for nutrition programs, and broader immunization efforts.

“Authorities and partners must take greater action to address the malnutrition crisis,” Tirima added.

MSF worries that 2025 may bring an even more dire situation, as cases of malnutrition are already on the rise well before the customary peak season. The organization cautioned that if action is not taken right away, malnutrition in northern Nigeria may reach record levels, which would raise child mortality rates.