Nigerian Children at the throes of Malnutrition from Climate Change
Source: AIT Live
According to the World Food Program, 33 million Nigerians will experience food insecurity due to climate-related disruptions in 2025. Even more profound, an estimated 11% or one in three Nigerian children under five suffer from food poverty, making them at least 50% more likely to experience malnutrition.
According to the World Bank, climate change-related factors could push 68 to 132 million people globally into poverty by 2050, worsening child nutrition. Climate change poses a significant threat to food security in Nigeria, with rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall patterns, and extreme weather events disrupting agricultural production. These changes lead to lower crop yields, food shortages, and higher prices, making it harder for families, especially those in rural areas, to access nutritious meals.
As these environmental challenges intensify, ensuring sustainable nutrition for Nigerian children has never been more urgent. This article explores the impact of climate change on child nutrition in Nigeria and highlights innovative, sustainable solutions to secure a healthier future for the next generation.
Establishing the link between Climate Change and Child Nutrition
Climate change hampers the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) two (Zero Hunger) and three ( Good Health and Well-being), as food production heavily relies on climatic factors like rainfall, temperature, and humidity. While the connection between food security and nutrition is widely discussed, it is crucial to include climate change in these discussions due to its impact on global nutrition indicators in recent years.
The relationship between climate change and children’s nutritional outcomes is complex. Climate change adversely impacts food production, crop output, crop growth, and contributes to the outbreak of diseases, and pests. As a result, climate change affects food security and diet diversity by changing the availability and quality of food sources available to children.
Rising temperatures and extreme weather events impact food production by lowering crop yields, making it more difficult to cultivate staples such as maize, rice, and cassava. Droughts deplete farmlands, while excessive rainfall causes floods that destroy crops and decrease soil fertility. Unpredictable weather patterns shorten growing seasons, impacting crop yields and food supply. Extreme heat also promotes bug infestations and plant diseases, further reducing agricultural productivity. These disturbances cause food shortages, higher prices, and increased hunger among vulnerable children.
Climate-induced food shortages cause significant nutritional deficits in Nigerian children, limiting their growth and development. For example, lower fish availability due to ocean warming reduces omega-3 consumption, which is necessary for brain development in children. Droughts reduce vegetable output, resulting in vitamin A insufficiency, which increases the risk of blindness and decreased immunity. Decreased livestock numbers limit the availability of milk and meat, resulting in protein shortage and stunted growth. Furthermore, reducing crop yields of iron-rich foods such as spinach and millet leads to anemia, resulting in tiredness and impaired cognitive performance.
The current state of Child Nutrition in Nigeria
Source: Business Day
Today, Nigeria has the world’s second-largest proportion of stunted children, with a countrywide prevalence rate of 32% of children under five. An estimated 2 million children in Nigeria suffer from severe acute malnutrition (SAM), yet only two out of every ten are presently receiving treatment. Seven percent of women of reproductive age suffer from acute malnutrition. Exclusive breastfeeding rates have not increased considerably over the last decade, with just 17% of newborns exclusively nursed throughout their first six months of life. Only 18% of children aged 6 to 23 months are served the minimum appropriate diet.
Northern Nigerian states are the most impacted by two types of malnutrition: stunting, also known as short height for age, and wasting, also known as low weight for height. High levels of malnutrition pose serious public health and development issues for the nation. Stunting, in addition to an increased risk of death, has been associated with poor cognitive development, poor academic performance, and low adult productivity, all of which contribute to economic losses estimated to be worth up to 12% of GNI.
In addition, many Nigerian households struggle to get nutritious and cheap food owing to rising costs and limited agricultural productivity. For example, a bag of rice – hitherto a staple – has become prohibitively costly for low-income families, forcing them to rely on less nutritional options. Fresh vegetables and protein sources, such as eggs and fish, are sometimes unavailable or prohibitively expensive, resulting in nutritional deficits. In remote locations, poor road networks and limited storage facilities make it difficult to transport fresh goods, resulting in food waste and shortages. As a result, many children experience hunger, limited growth, and decreased immunity.
Figure 1: Selected Food Prices Watch according to figures from NBS
Solutions are available to create Sustainable Nutrition
Source: GlobalGiving
To ensure Nigerian children have access to a balanced and nutritious diet despite the challenges posed by climate change, sustainable solutions must focus on food security, climate-resilient agriculture, and community-driven nutrition initiatives. Below are key approaches to improving child nutrition in a sustainable way:
- Improving Food Production Efficiency with Climate-Resilient Seeds
One of the most effective ways to combat the impact of climate change on nutrition is by promoting the cultivation of climate-resilient seeds. These seeds can withstand harsh weather conditions such as drought, flooding, and temperature fluctuations, ensuring a steady food supply.
Examples of climate-resilient seeds in Nigeria include millet and sorghum for their drought resistance and high nutrition, providing essential vitamins and minerals. Another option is the orange-fleshed sweet seed-potatoes, which are rich in vitamin A, helping prevent poor vision and weak immunity. Legumes such as beans, lentils, and cowpeas are good sources of plant-based protein and fiber that help to combat malnutrition. “Moringa,” a superfood packed with iron, protein, and essential vitamins, which can be quickly grown in home gardens, also offers opportunities.
Encouraging farmers to adopt these seeds through incentives, subsidies, and extension services can significantly improve food availability and nutritional outcomes for children.
- Promoting Local and Indigenous Foods
Many traditional Nigerian foods are naturally rich in essential nutrients and can be incorporated into children’s diets to improve their overall health. However, with the rise of processed foods and imported staples, many of these traditional superfoods have been neglected.
Examples of nutritious local foods include Ofada rice (brown rice) for its high fiber compared to polished white rice, Ugu (fluted pumpkin leaves) as a rich source of iron, which can help to prevent anemia in children, Egusi (melon seeds) for healthy fats, proteins, and vitamins for child growth and development, Okra for fiber, vitamin C, and folate, essential for strong immunity and digestive health, and finally, Snails and crayfish for high-quality protein, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids.
By increasing awareness of the health benefits of indigenous foods and making them more accessible, families can provide healthier meals for their children at a lower cost. In addition to this, an attempt must be made to brand these local delicacies or foods to make them more contemporarily appealing so they can become compelling options to hyper-processed foods.
- Implementing Sustainable School Feeding Programmes
School feeding programmes have been identified as the grand-prix of any attempt to improve climate, nutrition, economic and educational outcomes. School feeding programmes are critical in tackling child malnutrition, particularly in low-income communities. A well-designed program ensures that children receive at least one balanced meal per day, which enhances their physical and cognitive development. Key aspects of a sustainable school feeding program include using locally sourced ingredients, nutrient-rich meal planning, engaging local communities, and integrating homegrown school gardens where children learn to grow fruits and vegetables on small farms. Initiatives such as Nigeria’s Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (HGSFP), have already demonstrated the impact of such programs in improving child nutrition.
- Encouraging Home Gardening and Urban Farming
Growing food at home is a cost-effective and sustainable way for families to ensure a steady supply of fresh vegetables and fruits. Even in urban areas, small-scale farming methods can be implemented to improve household nutrition. While this is gaining traction thanks to the subsistence nature of most Nigerian households, other ways to promote home and urban farming include backyard, container, vertical, and community gardens. By providing families with seeds, farming knowledge, and small-scale irrigation solutions, home gardening can help bridge the nutritional gap for children.
- Food Fortification and Supplementation
Due to limited access to certain nutrients, food fortification is crucial in addressing micronutrient deficiencies in Nigerian children. Fortification involves adding essential vitamins and minerals to commonly consumed foods to enhance their nutritional value. Examples of fortified foods that can improve nutrition include:
- Iron-fortified rice and flour: Helps prevent anemia and improves cognitive development.
- Vitamin A-enriched vegetable oil and margarine: Reduces the risk of vision problems and infections.
- Iodized salt: Prevents iodine deficiency, which can lead to thyroid-related issues and developmental delays.
- Micronutrient powders: Easy-to-use sachets of vitamins and minerals that can be mixed into meals for infants and young children.
Supplementation programs, particularly in collaboration with health centers and schools, can ensure that children receive the nutrients they need to grow and develop properly.
Policy Action, Community Engagement and Education are critical
Source: News Agency of Nigeria
Climate change poses a significant threat to poverty reduction efforts in Nigeria, with the potential to push millions more into extreme poverty due to food insecurity, displacement, and economic instability. With more people likely to slip into extreme poverty worldwide by 2030, Nigeria, with its large vulnerable population, is at high risk. With 30.9% of Nigerians already living below the international poverty line and 40% of the population classified as poor, the impacts of climate change could exacerbate existing economic challenges.
To address these risks, stakeholders must implement multi-faceted solutions. These include a just transition to climate-smart agriculture, which enhances food production despite erratic weather patterns, and financial support for smallholder farmers, ensuring they can adapt to changing climate conditions. Additionally, investments in reforestation, water management systems, and digital farming technologies can help build resilience in rural and urban areas. In partnership with international organisations like the World Bank and the UN, government policies must prioritise adaptation strategies to safeguard the livelihoods of millions. Per the Paris Declaration on Nutrition 2030, governments must implement and enforce policies that ensure an enabling and regulatory environment for sustainable food production and access across the value chain. This will incentivise and enable progressive actions by companies that want to contribute to enabling healthy diets, markets, and food systems.
However, policies alone are not enough. Community-driven initiatives, educational programs on sustainable nutrition, and improved access to climate-resilient infrastructure will be critical in protecting vulnerable populations. By combining policy action, community engagement, and innovation, Nigeria can work toward reducing the impact of climate change on poverty and ensuring a sustainable future for its children.
Sustainable nutrition for Nigerian children is not just a health issue, it’s a necessity for the country’s future. As climate change threatens food security, we must take proactive steps to ensure every child has access to nutritious, climate-resilient foods. By embracing sustainable agricultural practices, supporting local farmers, and promoting education on balanced diets, we can create a healthier generation with resilient food systems despite environmental challenges.
