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In Nigeria, the statistics of malnutrition, like other deplorable data and indices, are very startling. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), ‘the giant of Africa’ is home to the second-largest concentration of stunted children in the world.
Get it straight. When a child is of a lower height than his/her age, such a child is said to suffer from stunting, largely caused by insufficient intake of the required nutrients. Although there are other predisposing factors, stunting is caused by undernutrition.
We have plenty of stunted children in Nigeria where, according to UNICEF, an estimated 2 million children suffer from severe acute malnutrition (SAM), out of which “only two out of every 10 children affected is currently reached with treatment”.
In Nigeria, it is estimated that 35 million children under five years of age suffer from malnutrition, 12 million children are stunted, and 3 million suffer from excessive and rapid weight loss, with 23.5 million children reported to be anaemic.
The north, plagued by various developmental challenges such as high numbers of out-of-school children, poverty, and low education levels, is also the worst affected region in terms of malnutrition.
Only recently, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) disclosed that its facilities in northern Nigeria had recorded a sharp increase in the number of children admitted for severe acute malnutrition, some of whom have life-threatening complications.
“We are resorting to treating patients on mattresses on the floor because our facilities are full. Children are dying. If immediate action is not taken, more lives hang in the balance.” MSF’s country representative in Nigeria, Dr Simba Tirima said then.
Sokoto’s sad situation
The situation in Sokoto state is dire. The figures, as far as malnutrition is concerned, are staggering. The state has no less than 439,000 stunted children, 298,000 suffering severe acute malnutrition, and 920,000 children are anaemic. These startling statistics are part of what informed the decisions of UNICEF, Save The Children International and other partners to intervene.
Amidst the mourning of the brutal murder of their Emir, Alhaji Idris Mohammed Gobir, by bandits, the citizens of Gobir in Sokoto State were shocked by another revelation. UNICEF disclosed that unidentified individuals had stolen nutrition supplements intended for malnourished children in Sokoto.
Michael Juma, UNICEF’s Chief of the Field Office for Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara states, expressed outrage that these essential supplements, provided and supplied to the state by donors to combat malnutrition, were stolen by unscrupulous individuals. Juma revealed that these supplements were openly sold in markets across the state.
He lamented that “some bad elements in the system connived with traders and engaged in selling the supplements to unintended persons.” Juma, who spoke through Abraham Mahama, noted that the supplements were openly sold in markets in some communities across the state.
Replaced with stones?
To cover their tracks, those involved—likely health workers—reportedly replaced the stolen supplements with stones in the cartons. The theft itself was cruel enough, given Sokoto’s alarming malnutrition rates, but the act of substituting stones for the supplements demonstrated an extraordinary level of callousness.
The fact that these supplements, meant to aid poor families with malnourished children, were stolen and sold openly while the community remained silent is deeply troubling. The theft, the cover-up, and the blatant market sales highlight a collective failure to hold criminals accountable. For this to go on without the media, civil society or opinion leaders raising an alarm shows how complicit we all are.
Unfortunately, supplements for malnourished children are not the only items diverted and sold in markets. Other essential items, like school bags and insecticide-treated mosquito nets, are also stolen and misused, often by government officials. This moral decay, seen in the outright theft of such items, reflects a deeper rot within Nigeria’s public service. The outright stealing of such items, as witnessed in Sokoto state, despite the alarming malnutrition rate, suggests the moral decay that has permeated virtually all facets of our national life, including public service.
If Nigeria had a dedicated and ethical workforce, there would not be so many cases of public funds being looted, undermining efforts to improve the lives of current and future generations.
Waiting for Gov. Aliyu
Despite UNICEF’s shocking revelation, the Sokoto state government has yet to launch an investigation to identify and punish those responsible for exacerbating the plight of malnourished children. This lack of action is unsurprising in a state that has not prioritized nutrition. Sokoto’s 2024 budget reportedly includes no allocation for nutrition programmes.
Given the government’s inaction, community members where the supplements are being sold should increase vigilance and report those responsible to the authorities. To do otherwise amounts to sheer complicity in the crime.
With approximately 1,657,000 malnourished children in Sokoto State, Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto must take decisive action to strengthen UNICEF’s interventions and those of other development partners. At the very least, the governor must use government resources to pursue those sabotaging these critical efforts.
Above all, the government must commit adequate resources to address malnutrition and other challenges threatening the children. The zero allocation for malnutrition activities in the state’s budget is unacceptable. Governor Aliyu must prioritise combating malnutrition to ensure the survival and development of Sokoto’s children.
English (US) ·