International non-governmental organizations have urged Nigeria's government and partners to act swiftly to save 600,000 severely malnourished children in northern states. The appeal came during the 16th Africa Food Security and Nutrition Day commemoration. Without intervention, 96,000 children risk death from October to December 2025.
Members of the Nigerian INGO Forum, including Save the Children, Action Against Hunger, Plan International, SOS Children’s Villages, Oxfam, CARE, CAFOD, Malteser International, and INTEROS, marked the 16th Africa Food Security and Nutrition Day with a joint press briefing. They highlighted a dire report projecting that 600,000 children under five in Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, Katsina, Sokoto, and Zamfara states face severe acute malnutrition (SAM) from October to December 2025.
Duncan Harvey, Country Director of Save the Children, emphasized the urgency, noting that 96,000 of these children could die without life-saving treatment. 'It means 1000 children may die daily due to malnutrition,' he said. Harvey shared firsthand observations: 'I have been to Katsina, Sokoto, and seen so many malnourished children. The Doctors Without Borders once told us that sometimes they have recorded over 1000 admissions of malnourished children.' He called on the Federal Government to release funds for essential nutrition commodities, such as ready-to-use therapeutic foods and locally produced milk, to address the crisis in the next three months.
Thierno Diallo, Country Director of Action Against Hunger, released a food security report revealing that 31 million Nigerians face acute food and nutrition insecurity. This affects 5.4 million children with acute malnutrition, including 3.5 million under five suffering from SAM, of whom 1.2 million require immediate treatment.
Helen Idiong, Director of Programmes Quality and Influencing at Plan International Nigeria, read recommendations urging long-term government funding for sustained nutrition, security, and development. She advocated for stronger political commitment and policy enforcement to recognize food and nutrition security as a fundamental human right. The INGOs warned that severe malnutrition causes irreversible damage to physical growth, cognitive development, and economic productivity, underscoring the need for collective action to protect national human capital.