No fewer than 11 million children in Nigeria, representing 32 per cent, are alleged to have stunted growth due to lack of proper nutrition.
This was contained in a survey by the Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria.
The Head of Nutrition of the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Chris Ose Isokpunwu, who made the disclosure at a One-Day Advocacy/Sensitisation Meeting for Policy Makers and Nutrition Stakeholders to Scale up Nutrition in Niger State, said aside from 32 per cent stunted children, 7.2 per cent are Wasted, while 18.6 per cent are Under Weight.
Also, the Nutrition Indices of 2015 revealed that 20 per cent of child mortality can be averted if mothers adhere strictly to breast-feeding of their babies in the first six months of their lives.
Speaking on the theme: “Implementation of National Strategic Plan Action Nutrition: Cost Implication to Nigeria and Niger State,” Isokpunwu said to adequately improve the nutrition status of people and enhance productivity, government at all levels should come up with an action plan to address the situation.
According to him, with N182.4 billion, stunting would be averted in 890,000 children in the country, while Niger State would require N2.8 billion spread over five years, estimated at N600 million every year.
Also, the wife of the Niger State Governor, Dr. Amina Sani Bello, in her address, said the major cause of stunting in children is refusal by mothers to go into exclusive breastfeeding.
Bello said survey has also known that 30 per cent of women in Niger State no longer breastfeed their babies.
Decrying the 11 million cases of stunting in Nigeria, she said by the figure, the country has the second highest on the African continent and second highest in the world.
Dr. Bello then urged the Niger State Government to adopt the National Strategic Action Plan on Nutrition in the state to help in tackling the issue of poor nutrition, especially among children in the state.
Florence Oni, the UNICEF representative for Kaduna State, stated that Niger State has serious challenge of nutrition as more than 30 per cent children in Niger State are wasted and stunted, warning that the situation is on the increase if action is taken to tackle it.
Earlier, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jibrin Mustaph, said the state government was looking seriously into the issue of nutrition and how to tackling, especially among communities in the state.
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