The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has commended UNICEF for its role in the fight against malnutrition as it affects children in the country.
Mohammed stated this on Thursday in Maiduguri, Borno State at a workshop organized by UNICEF and DFID in conjunction with The Child Rights Information Bureau.
The Minister, who was represented by Olumide Osanyipeju, the Deputy Director, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Department of Child Rights’ Bureau, stated that government is doing its best to ensure that there is adequate provision of food for children, all of which revolve around increase in the funding for nutrition.
He said: “I commend UNICEF for their contributions, unyielding support and partnership with the Federal Government and for the consistent effort being made to ensure the wellbeing of Nigeria children.
“Malnutrition is a large burden to a country and tackling malnutrition entails empowering and educating people.
“Improved nutrition is the key to improved national and human development and this can be done by educating the populace and creating a positive approach towards nutrition.”
Mohammed emphasised that addressing nutrition is one of the ways of meeting the sustainable development goals and that lack of access to basic nutrition is an “infringement on the rights of the child”.
He further ensured that the government will do the needful by providing necessary policies and provision to manage malnutrition in the country.
Also, UNICEF’s Nutritionist Specialist, Abigail Nyukuri, stated that 2.5 million boys and girls under the age of 5 suffer from severe acute malnutrition every year in the country.
Nyukuri said in 2019, 444,000 boys and girls under the age of 5 will also suffer from SAM.
She lamented the high level of acute malnutrition in the world, putting the figure at 47 per cent.
The nutrition specialist noted that the issue of food scarcity, insecurity, sub optimal water, hygiene and sanitation practices and high disease burden are all factors exacerbating the issue of malnutrition.
She further emphasised that the impact of malnutrition is of permanent consequence to the children as it leads to irreversible brain damage and compromised intellectual activity in adulthood.
Malnutrition also causes nearly 50 per cent of all child deaths under the age of 5, reduces the GDP by 16 per cent as well as increase infant mortality rate, Nyukuri said.
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