Nigeria and the mists of malnutrition

Nigerian children have never had it easy growing up. The challenges which have always been around seem to mount with each day that passes , bringing many to the inevitable conclusion that to be a child in Nigeria is almost akin to  a death sentence.

For many years now, Nigerian children have had only very little time to digest the fact that there is a country within the country that is the giant of Africa and  that that country is such a difficult place to be a child.

Indeed, according to the 2021 Global Childhood Index of Save the Children, an international Non-Governmental Organization committed to the welfare of  children,

Nigeria is one of the most difficult countries in which to be a child.

The revelation came as little surprise because what poverty leaves behind in the lives of Nigerian children, insecurity rips apart.

The fact that since 1960 Nigeria has struggled to get its acts together has  affected children the most because by reason of their tender age, they are often  the  demographic most likely to be affected by conflict and dysfunction.

Nigeria currently has close to twenty million out-of-school children. In a country gravely challenged by crime and insecurity, it is frightening the pool of conscripts this shameful failure of planning and development is creating.

Now, going into 2023, another stark warning issued by  experts has rattled those  interested in protecting the interests of Nigerian children.

First to speak up was the United Nations Children Emergency Fund(UNICEF) which said that 100 children die every hour in Nigeria with malnutrition as the underlying factor which translates to 2400 deaths a day and 876,000 deaths a year.It also means that about 801,600 children died between January 1 and November 30,2022.

Echoing the harrowing concerns by UNICEF, stakeholders in the health and nutrition sector have called for more to be done to save a great number of Nigerian children from what is a  grave challenge.

The figures available go on to show just how much of a challenge it is for children to  find just the right amount of nutrition in Nigeria.

The cost  for Nigeria is better imagined. It is close to an existential threat with many children facing multiple threats on multiple fronts to their health and well-being.

Many children also continue to face genuine questions about what the immediate future holds for them in a country that appears desperate to restrict the opportunities available to children.

Hunger is a real problem as is the desperate poverty that gnaws ferociously at the few opportunities available to families who must scratch and scramble just to get by.

If nutrition which is basic  is a problem,what else is a problem?Available statistics show that education is a problem as is housing as well as the environment children need to thrive. There is no doubt that if Nigeria expects to one day be counted among the countries that are on the right path because the interests of children are being taken seriously, the interests of children would actually need to be taken seriously.

Until this is done, Nigeria will continue to be considered as a country where anything goes.

Kene Obiezu,

Twitter: @kenobiezu

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