Nigeria has been ranked the second-highest country for malnutrition globally, according to a recent survey by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Anne Patterson, the Director of USAID Mission, revealed this during a Trade Fair in Abuja focused on life-saving nutrition products.
Referring to the 2021 Food Consumption and Micronutrients Survey, Patterson highlighted that severe acute malnutrition in Nigerian children escalated from 7% to 12% over the past five years. This places Nigeria as the second-worst affected country for malnutrition.
Patterson expressed concern over these statistics, emphasizing that only 2.8% of these malnourished children had received treatment with ready-to-use therapeutic foods (RUTF) in the last year. However, she noted the availability of local producers such as Ariel Foods, Emzor Foods, DABS, and Nutri-K who produce RUTF.
Patterson praised Nigerian companies for their ability to manufacture these vital products at international standards and announced a partnership between USAID and Emzor Food and Beverages to establish a medical-grade groundnut paste processing facility.
The Mission Director urged state governments to ensure consistent access to RUTF and other essential nutrition commodities for their citizens. Nebeolisa Anako, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Budget, and Planning, acknowledged the significance of addressing malnutrition through collaborative efforts.
Faniran Sanjo, representing the UN Food Systems Transformation Pathways for Nigeria, highlighted the need to identify priority actions for producing RUTF and addressing the burden of malnutrition at all levels of government.