As the world commemorates World Food Day 2025, Nigeria stands at a crossroads in its fight against malnutrition. Despite years of investment in health interventions, nutrition-sensitive agriculture, and social programmes, millions of Nigerians especially children continue to suffer from the invisible crisis of hunger and poor nutrition. While progress continues, national and regional data show that malnutrition remains one of the country’s most lingering development challenges that is undermining health, education, productivity, and the economy.
The national picture: malnutrition still a heavy burden
According to the UNICEF, World Food Programme (WFP), and Global Nutrition Report (2025), Nigeria’s national averages tell a sobering story:
31.5% of children under five are stunted which means that they are too short for their age, a sign of chronic undernutrition.
7% are wasted, indicating acute malnutrition or rapid weight loss.
22% are underweight, combining elements of both chronic and acute malnutrition.
These figures mean that roughly one in three Nigerian children is not growing as they should. This is a situation that directly affects school readiness, cognitive development, and future productivity.
UNICEF notes that malnutrition contributes to almost half of all under-five deaths in Nigeria, while the World Food Programme (2025) estimates that poor diet quality remains a major driver of both undernutrition and emerging obesity in urban centers.
Regional trends: Stark disparities across Nigeria’s six zones
Northeast and Northwest: The epicenter of the crisis
The North East and North West zones remain the hardest hit by malnutrition and food insecurity. Data from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC, 2025) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC, 2025) reveal that over 40% of children in these regions are stunted.
Furthermore, an estimated 1.8 million children under five are suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM), while more than 3.6 million experience moderate acute malnutrition (MAM). In some local government areas in Katsina and Zamfara, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reports “extremely critical” levels of child malnutrition, with hundreds of child deaths recorded in early 2025 alone (Al Jazeera, July 2025).
The drivers here are well-known: armed conflict, forced displacement, poverty, limited access to healthcare, and erratic rainfall that disrupts agriculture. According to the WFP (2025), more than 5 million people in the northern belt are in acute food insecurity, and whose lives depends on humanitarian assistance.
North Central: Moderate stunting, hidden
Micronutrient gaps
In the North Central region, child stunting rates are estimated at around 30%, according to the Global Nutrition Report (2025) and UNICEF Nigeria. While not as severe as in the northernmost zones, micronutrient deficiencies are widespread.
A 2025 study published by the National Institute for Nutrition and Health Research (NIHR) and the National Bureau of Statistics found that vitamin A deficiency prevalence ranges from 34% to 65% among children and women of reproductive age in North Central Nigeria. Poor diet diversity, limited consumption of fruits and vegetables, and over- dependency on traditional staple cereals contribute to this “hidden hunger.”
This region requires intensified actions to curb micronutrient deficiencies such fortification and dietary diversification programmes, including the promotion of biofortified crops such as vitamin A maize and cassava, and iron-pearl millet, which have already being introduced through several projects such as the UK Government funded Propcom+ project, strengthening the climate, nutrition, and economic resilience of smallholder farmers and enterprises, Building Nutritious Food Basket (BNFB) and others led by HarvestPlus, GAIN, WFP, UNICEF, and other partners in Nigeria.
Southeast and South-South: The emerging double burden
In the South East and South South zones, stunting rates range between 20% and 25%, representing moderate but significant levels of undernutrition. Yet, these zones face a new challenge the double burden of malnutrition.
As urbanization and dietary transitions accelerate, overweight and obesity rates among women have risen sharply. The World Health Organization (WHO, 2025) reports that approximately 31% of women of reproductive age in southern Nigeria are now overweight or obese which is an increase from 24% a decade ago. This therefore calls for urgent action before it goes out of hand.
South West: The best performing zone
According to UNICEF and WFP 2025 reports, the South West maintains the lowest prevalence of undernutrition, with stunting at around 18% and wasting below 5%.
Better economic conditions, higher literacy rates, and access to diverse diets have helped to improve nutritional outcomes. Similarly, HarvestPlus interventions in the promotion of nutrient-enriched biofortified crops for over a decade is a major contribution to this performance.
However, there are still works to be done as hidden inequalities still persist in rural and peri-urban areas; where low-income families struggle with the high cost of protein foods and fresh produce. Similarly, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS, 2025), there are growing concerns about the affordability of nutritious diets as food inflation remains above 30%.
This coexistence of undernutrition and over nutrition highlights the need for balanced food policies and actions that promote both access to healthy diets and public awareness about excessive consumption of processed, high-calorie foods.
The way forward: Regional strategies for a nourished nation
Nigeria’s malnutrition crisis demands both national coherence and regional adaptation. Each zone faces distinct nutritional realities, requiring tailored interventions.
Northern Nigeria: Focus on emergency nutrition interventions (RUTF supply, scaling of biofortified crops and foods, therapeutic feeding, cash + food programs), agricultural resilience, and local RUTF production by SMEs.
North Central: Expand micronutrient fortification and scale up biofortified crops to tackle vitamin A and iron deficiencies.
Southern zones: Implement awareness campaigns and regulatory measures to curb obesity while maintaining food safety and nutrition standards.
Cross-cutting: Invest in clean water, sanitation, and behavior change communication to improve infant and young child feeding practices (IYCF).
A call to collective action
Malnutrition is not just a health issue but also an economic and social issues. The World Bank estimates that countries lose up to 10% of GDP annually due to undernutrition through lost productivity and healthcare costs.
Private sector players have enormous opportunities to invest in biofortified seed systems, crops and foods, fortified foods, local RUTF production, nutrition logistics, and social marketing.
Policymakers must prioritize nutrition financing, enforce food fortification regulations, and incentivize innovations.
Development partners and civil society must continue to support local solutions and accountability systems, while individuals and families adopt healthier, more diverse diets.
If Nigeria continues to act decisively with coordination, investment, and shared accountability, it can turn its malnutrition burden into an opportunity for human capital growth and economic resilience.
Dr. Aremu Fakunle is a Senior Agribusiness and Public Policy Expert based in Abuja, Nigeria. He can be reached via fakunle2014@gmail.com; +2348063284833
