The number of malnourished children in Nigeria has reached alarming levels, with up to 33 million people facing severe hunger this year. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, approximately 6.4 million Nigerian children are expected to be acutely malnourished by the end of 2026, with the majority residing in the northern region. The Red Cross has been sounding the alarm on the escalating hunger crisis in Nigeria, which has been exacerbated by factors such as climate shocks, poor governance, and attacks by non-state actors.
In Katsina state, where the crisis is particularly severe, a healthcare facility in Kaita community has been overwhelmed with cases of malnourished children. The facility, which has been funded by the Alliance for International Medical Action (Alima) and its donors since 2021, has treated over 36,000 children for malnutrition in the past year alone. However, the facility faces an impossible challenge due to the sheer number of cases and the lack of resources.
The situation is further complicated by the fact that thousands of doctors are fleeing the country due to late payment of their salaries, leaving a doctor-to-patient ratio of roughly 1:9,000, far below the recommended 1:600 by the World Health Organization. Digital health startups and private-sector partnerships have made some progress in big cities like Lagos and Abuja, but have yet to reach other areas due to infrastructure shortcomings and inflation.
The dire situation in Nigeria's healthcare system is a stark reminder of the country's deepening polycrisis. With the economy in shambles, security threats on the rise, and human development in crisis, it is imperative that the government takes immediate action to address the root causes of the hunger crisis. The fact that only 5.2% of the country's budget was allocated to the health sector in 2025 is a damning indictment of the government's priorities.
