The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has raised concern over a worsening malnutrition crisis in northwestern Nigeria, warning that over 500,000 children across Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara states are at risk of severe malnutrition.
The concern followed the presentation of findings from the 2025 Nutrition SMART Survey at a dissemination workshop held in Sokoto on Tuesday, where stakeholders gathered to review the region’s nutrition outlook and discussed response strategies.
The one-day workshop focused on translating data into action, with participants emphasising the need to scale up life-saving nutrition interventions and strengthen community-based responses to curb the growing crisis.
UNICEF Nutrition Specialist, Edward Kotundo, disclosed that the data revealed a troubling prevalence of acute malnutrition among children under five years, particularly in Sokoto and Kebbi states.
Kotundo said wasting affects 11 per cent of children in Sokoto and Kebbi, while Zamfara records 8.5 per cent, placing the first two states in the “high prevalence” category and Zamfara at a “medium level,” but still of serious concern.
He further disclosed that the survey found a “very high” rate of stunting across all three states, highlighting widespread chronic malnutrition and long-term nutritional deprivation among children.
He, however, noted that the findings are consistent with the October 2025 Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Acute Malnutrition analysis, which projected that over half a million children could become severely wasted if urgent interventions are not implemented.
“The data clearly shows that this is not just a health issue but a development emergency that requires coordinated, multisectoral action,” Kotundo said.
The UNICEF Chief of Field Officer in Sokoto, represented by Michael Juma, commended government agencies and development partners for their collaboration in conducting the survey, stressing that credible data is key to effective planning and response.
Also, the Director of Medical Services at the Sokoto State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Muhammad Kaura, described Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara as sharing similar cultural and socio-economic realities, underscoring the need for a unified regional approach to tackling malnutrition.
He further acknowledged UNICEF’s continued support in strengthening primary healthcare systems, particularly in maternal and child health services.
The workshop witnessed the presence of state nutrition officers, officials from ministries of information and budget and planning, state bureaus of statistics, security agencies, and development partners such as Médecins Sans Frontières and Action Against Hunger.
The event witnessed goodwill messages from stakeholders who praised UNICEF’s interventions and expressed optimism that the survey findings would guide more targeted nutrition programmes and policies.
They called for sustained partnerships and increased investment to address the root causes of malnutrition, including food insecurity, poverty, and limited access to healthcare.
