MSF warns of impending malnutrition crisis in Nigeria

A recent analysis by the Nigerian government has projected that 33.1 million people will face high levels of acute food insecurity during the 2025 lean season, which spans from June to August. This represents a significant increase of 7 million people compared to 2024.

According to Dr. Simba Tirima, the outgoing country representative of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Nigeria, the projections are already tracking as the lean season approaches.

Many MSF-supported hospitals are already seeing higher numbers of patients than last year. For instance, in the northwestern state of Kebbi, MSF admitted 41.8 percent more patients in April compared to the same period in 2024.

In Kano State, one MSF-supported Ministry of Health primary inpatient therapeutic feeding center (ITFC) is at full capacity, and another is projected to soon hit capacity. MSF-supported facilities across northern Nigeria are likely to face an influx of patients, particularly in areas where MSF is the sole provider of inpatient care for malnourished children.

Despite efforts to expand bed capacity, recruit more healthcare workers, and start mobile clinic activities, the cuts and changes in logistics around USAID will inevitably have an impact on the northern region. Dr. Tirima emphasised that Nigeria is about to enter the peak season of malnutrition, which continues to afflict more Nigerian children than ever before.

Malnutrition is a serious condition that can lead to long-term developmental issues, including stunting, even from moderate malnutrition. Investing in the reduction of malnutrition is not only humane but also an investment in Nigeria’s future prosperity.

In 2024, MSF-supported facilities admitted over 250,000 children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) to outpatient facilities and 76,000 acutely malnourished children with medical complications to inpatient facilities. This represents a significant increase of 38 percent and 53 percent, respectively, compared to 2023.

The Katsina Hospital, one of MSF’s largest hospitals focused on malnutrition, struggled to support over 25,000 children admitted to the hospital in 2024, with admissions 35 percent higher than in the previous year. During the malnutrition peak, the hospital often admitted a child every 5 minutes due to complications of acute malnutrition.

UNICEF, a leading distributor of life-saving ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), receives most of its funding from USAID. However, the drastic changes in logistics around USAID have raised concerns about the disruption of food flow to those who need it most.

Dr. Tirima emphasised that aid funding for food alone will not solve the problem and called for new donors and solutions to address the crisis. A devastating mix of rising food prices, displacement, insecurity, climate-induced crop failures, low immunization coverage, and lack of access to clean water and sanitation has left more children susceptible to developing malnutrition.

The humanitarian sector’s assumption that one donor’s withdrawal would be replaced by another no longer holds. New donors and solutions are critically needed to analyze RUTF needs and treatment gaps, invest in vaccination and primary healthcare, and tackle malnutrition in northern Nigeria.

The impending crisis will have far-reaching consequences, with ripple effects that will be felt for generations. All stakeholders need to correct the course today to prevent a seismic structural collapse that could have devastating impacts on Nigerian children.