The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says about 14.5 million Nigerians are facing a food crisis amidst insecurity.

 
The Child’s rights organization who said the figures were made available in the 2018 National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) also revealed that 25 million Nigerian are hungry. 


Nkeiruka Enwelum, Nutrition OfficerUNICEF Nigeria Country Office, who made this known on Thursday at a dialogue on sustainable development goals (SDGs) as child rights in Enugu, said Nigeria remains off track to achieve SDGs goal 2(zero hunger) . 


Speaking on child malnutrition situation in Nigeria, Enwelum said malnutrition is extremely high in the North – west and North – eastern states of Nigeria namely : Kebbi 66.1%, Sokoto 54.8%, Zamfara 50.8%, Katsina 60.5%, Kano 56.9%, Jigawa 64%, Yobe 57.2%, Bauchi 54.7%, and Gombe 51.2.


Enwelum while lamenting the the state of malnutrition in the country, said the average annual rate of reduction for stunting is only 0.4 per cent per year. 


Also speaking at the event, Dr. Geoffrey Njoku, UNICEF communication specialist, said to address SDGs in its totality in the country, deliberate efforts must be made to address those components that relates to children in the SDGs. 


“when you talk of malnutrition and development, If you don’t work on providing framework, resources that would help in eliminating child malnutrition in Nigeria, then it will be difficult achieving SDGs goal related to health”.


While commending the government for its efforts made so far in the health sector, he called for more focus on domestication of the child rights act in the remaining thirty states in the country.