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Alarming! Nigeria rated 1st as most malnourished African nation, 2nd worldwide

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The United Nations Children’s Fund said Nigeria ranks first in Africa and second worldwide in the number of malnourished children.

The Chief of Nutrition for UNICEF Nigeria, Nemat Hajeebhoy, said this on Monday at the ongoing three-day collaborative meeting between the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, and the state nutrition managers.

Hajeebhoy said, “When we look at Nigeria, we see that in Nigeria, we have between 35 and 45 million children under five years of age. Now, when we look at children and we say they are malnourished, if they’re not doing well, we say they are malnourished, and you have different types of malnutrition. You have about 12 million children who we say are stunted, which means they are short in terms of their height for their age.

“We have about nine million children who are wasted, which means they’re too thin for their height, and then we have about 24-25 million children who are anaemic, which means they do not have enough iron, or their blood is not healthy. So, with these numbers, Nigeria is number one in the continent and second in the world, after India. So in Nigeria, we need to all come together to address this issue, because if we address the issue in Nigeria, we address it for West Africa, we address it for the continent.”

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She, however, said 43 million Nigerian children have received vitamin A supplements.

“During the maternal, newborn, child health week campaigns that were held in all the states of the country in May, June, July and August to deliver vitamin A supplementation, deworming tablets to children under five, iron, folic acid or multiple micronutrient supplements to pregnant women, I’m delighted to share that 43 million children receive vitamin A supplements this time. This is the first time in Nigeria we have had such a high number.

“We also see that all 36 states unlocked resources to get deworming tablets given to children. And 19 million children were reached with deworming tablets. We also see that over two million pregnant women receive supplements of either iron and folic acid or a multiple micronutrient tablet, and this is very important to enable them to be healthy and for the growth of their children.

“What I am hopeful for is that the next round of MNC week which will happen between mid-November and mid-December, that we can have the support from the states, mothers, fathers, grandparents, so that we can reach the same numbers in the second round. If we achieve this, then we will have achieved results for Nigeria, for West Africa, for the continent and the world,” she added.

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Meanwhile, the Director and Head of the Nutrition Department, FMoHSW, Ladidi Bako-Aiyegbusi, noted that efforts are being made by the Federal Government to check the progress made and prioritise activities that will improve nutrition in the country.

She said, “Nigeria has the highest burden in Africa and the second highest in the world but the government is collaborating with other stakeholders to change that narrative, and we have put in place quite several strategies.

“We have the coordination team through which we interact with stakeholders every quarter to find out what everyone is doing, and the challenges. We are also ensuring that this coordination that is being strengthened at the federal level, it’s also being strengthened at the state level.”

She added that the government was also building the capacity of providers and has trained over 2,000 master trainers on maternal infant and young child feeding practices.

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“Right now, the Federal Government is supporting the states to plan for the training of the secondary facility providers on maternal and infant and young child feeding practices.

“What we need to see for nutrition is to leverage that momentum and make sure that every child is well nourished, especially during the first 1000 days of life.

“All stakeholders need to come together and invest in that age, because if we don’t, then we compromise the child for life,” she stated.

The Deputy Director, Nutrition, NPHCDA, Dr Ogechi Akalonu noted that there is a need for strategies for improving the nutritional status in the country.

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She said, “It is a good meeting to ensure that nutrition is visible and top of the national agenda.

“So we need to come together to strategise on how best to improve the nutritional status of women and children.”

On his part, the Country Director, Nutrition International, Dr Osita Okonkwo emphasised the need to increase funding to ensure the implementation of the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health campaigns.

Okonkwo, who was represented by the Programme Officer, Child Health and Nutrition, Junaidu Sani reiterated the organisation’s commitment to supporting the government in the implementation of the MNCH.

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FG announces April deadline for completion of East-West Road

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The Federal Government has directed the contractor handling the Eleme section of the East-West Road to expedite drainage work to meet the April deadline for completion.

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, issued the directive during an inspection of the ongoing 15km road upgrade from Eleme Junction to Onne in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State.

While commending Reynolds Construction Company Nigeria Limited for the quality of work done, Umahi insisted that the drainage must be prioritised to ensure timely completion.

“RCC has done very well. The work completed in the past two months is more than what was done since the project started. However, the project slowed down significantly when the site manager went on leave. I’m happy to see him back and satisfied with the quality of work RCC is delivering,” Umahi stated.

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He emphasised the need to test existing road shoulders before excavation, warning against unnecessary digging for financial gains.

“The existing shoulder has to be tested throughout. I don’t want them digging up areas filled with sharp sand and stone base just to increase costs. If they don’t test it and request approval for any section they dig, they won’t get paid,” he warned.

Umahi also observed that drainage construction had either stopped or slowed significantly, urging the contractor to redesign and precast drainage systems for quicker installation, even during the rainy season.

“I’m happy with the project’s progress, and I believe they will complete the carriageway by the end of April. However, if drainage work is not completed, the project remains unfinished. They must accelerate drainage work to ensure we clear this carriageway by April,” he stated.

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The minister further directed that any section of the road that has remained untouched for 21 days after concrete casting should be opened to commuters to ease traffic congestion.

“Anywhere that has stayed 21 days since concrete was cast should be opened to road users, starting today. This concrete technology will ensure the road lasts between 50 and 100 years without maintenance or reconstruction. It is a signature project of President Bola Tinubu,” he added.

Umahi also inspected the rehabilitation of the Enugu-Port Harcourt dual carriageway, Section IV (Aba–Port Harcourt), which is being handled by the Chinese Construction Engineering Company.

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Reasons behind extreme heat conditions in FCT, Niger, Kogi – NiMet

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The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has given reasons for the high temperatures residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Niger, Kogi and few other states are currently experiencing.

The current maximum temperature in the listed states is 40°C and the minimum is 23°C.

The Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) released last month by the agency shows that most of the northern and central states would record day-time temperatures ranging between 37°C and 40°C, while parts of Kano, Kaduna, Bauchi, and Plateau states in the North as well as Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ekiti, Edo, Enugu, Anambra, Ebonyi, Imo, Abia, part of Cross River and Delta states in the South are expected to record temperatures ranging between 34°C and 37°C this month.

The agency attributed the high temperatures to climate change and advised Nigerians to embrace a lifestyle switch.

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Residents of the states experiencing high temperatures are advised to avoid exposure to direct sunlight between noon and 3 p.m.

There are also indications that this year may be hotter than last year, which was described as the hottest year.

NiMet’s Director of Weather Services, Prof. Vincent Weli, announced this while speaking on phone with The Nation yesterday. He said: “Everything is embedded in the climate change theory. Every experience we are having now is a result of climate change. The hotness, in general, is because of climate change.

“Abuja, Lokoja, and Minna are located within the same ecological zone and these towns share the same weather pattern. Whatever happens to Lokoja will affect Minna and Abuja because they are in the same route of the flow of wind and also lie within the same climatic zone. Also, these towns have the same vegetation pattern.

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“So, since they are within the same climatic belt, everything that affects Minna and the FCT will affect Lokoja accordingly. The heat is affecting everywhere, not just these towns mentioned. We said last year was the hottest in the history of the earth but this year already is trying to beat it to become the hottest.

“So, as the year increases, it’s obvious that we are going to have higher temperatures. I don’t know where we are headed with this trend, but something needs to be done to reverse the trend.”

To make the best of the situation, Prof. Weli said: “What can reverse the trend is for us to encourage every activity of man that will reduce the emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, such as the use of electric cars, solar power and planting of trees.

“These will be other sources of energy other than the use of diesel and petrol and other hydrocarbon compounds that we use as sources of power. Also, we should plant more trees to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The more we plant trees, the more we reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the more we increase the oxygen.”

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The NiMet director urged residents of the affected states with high temperatures to take necessary action to overcome the hot weather.

He said: “In order not to experience what we call heat stroke, people should drink more water often, keep themselves off the direct impact of sunlight between 12 p.m (noon) and 3 p.m. If people do not expose their bodies to the direct impact of sunlight, it will reduce water loss from the system.

“So, people should drink more water than necessary. Otherwise, their systems will be dehydrated, and that will cause secondary health issues.”

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JAMB begins sales of  2025 direct entry forms March 12

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Registration for this year’s Direct Entry (DE) form will begin tomorrow, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has said.

The board said the registration process is crucial for those who possess degrees, diplomas, or A-Level certificates and wish to advance their education at their preferred universities.

JAMB’s Public Communications Advisor, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, announced this in a statement yesterday in Abuja.

The statement said the announcement for the commencement of the DE sales followed the successful conclusion of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) application sales, which ended on Saturday, March 8.

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“During this period, JAMB recorded a total of 2,030,627 registrations for the 2025 UTME, along with 200,115 for the Mock-UTME and 630 applications for the trial mock,” the statement said.

It added: “JAMB has emphasised the importance of adhering to all entry requirements, warning that serious penalties will be imposed on applications containing false declarations. A special committee will verify all submitted Advanced A-Level Qualifications, and any fraudulent results will lead to prosecution. Additionally, institutions are encouraged to directly verify certificates before considering admissions.

“Registration can only be done at JAMB Professional Registration Centres (PRC).”

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