Vice President Kashim Shettima has revealed that Nigeria loses about $56 billion every year to the devastating effects of malnutrition, calling it both a humanitarian crisis and an economic threat to the country’s future.
Speaking at the High-Level Conference on Mobilising Against Malnutrition in Katsina, Shettima—represented by his aide, Mrs. Uju Vanstatia Rochas-Anwukah—urged national and local leaders to treat nutrition as a top priority.
“There is no greater test of our humanity than how we respond to hunger in the land,” he said, commending Governor Dikko Radda for Katsina’s proactive initiatives, which he described as “a model for national action.”
The Vice President lamented that child malnutrition continues to weaken the nation’s human capital, stressing that every dollar invested in nutrition yields $23 in return. He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to expanding the Nutrition 774 Initiative to reach all communities.
Governor Radda, in his remarks, said Katsina had contributed ₦1 billion to UNICEF’s Child Nutrition Fund, upgraded hundreds of health facilities, employed 1,600 frontline workers, and planned new Tom-Brown and RUTF food factories to combat child malnutrition.
He also announced plans to expand feeding centres, grant six-month maternity leave, and implement child protection laws to address root causes of hunger.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Country Representative, Dr. Ahmed Aldikhari, disclosed that Nigeria now records the highest number of malnourished children treated globally, with nearly 300,000 cases in 2024 alone.
He praised Shettima for declaring malnutrition a national emergency, urging closer collaboration between federal, state, and international partners to scale up interventions.
The conference drew participation from diplomats, humanitarian organisations, and top government officials, all pledging stronger action to tackle Nigeria’s worsening nutrition crisis.
