During this year's World Nutrition Day, renewed efforts to combat malnutrition in Nigeria were emphasized, focusing on enabling policies and accelerated implementation of proven nutrition interventions with sustained domestic financing. Nigeria's National Development Plan (2021-2025) prioritizes maternal health, aiming to reduce maternal mortality from 512 to 300 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2025, while also addressing malnutrition among women of reproductive age. This aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals and the global initiative to reduce maternal mortality to 70 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030.
Behind every statistic lies a human story. Pregnant women face daily dangers due to lack of essential nutrition and healthcare. Their resilience, along with that of health workers and communities, often goes unrecognized in policy discussions. Central to saving mothers' lives is sustained financing and access to multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS), which address deficiencies in iron, folate, and other nutrients contributing to Nigeria's high maternal mortality rate.
According to the 2023 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, Nigeria records 512 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. Child malnutrition is equally alarming, with Nigeria ranking second globally for stunted children. UNICEF, WHO, and the World Bank report that 32-34% of children under five, about 14 million, are stunted, and two million suffer from severe acute malnutrition. These figures represent a compounding emergency requiring honesty and recognition of ongoing change.
Nigerian-Led Solutions Gaining Ground
Optimism arises from Nigerian-led coalitions building solutions within communities. During a visit to Kaduna State, the Civil Society-Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) alliance, comprising over 400 civil society groups, media, academics, and development partners like the Gates Foundation, has strengthened nutrition policies, funding, and accountability. Through the Partnership for Improving Nigeria Nutrition Systems (PINNS) project in Kaduna, Kano, Niger, Nasarawa, and Lagos, CS-SUNN has driven reforms involving state governments, lawmakers, and traditional leaders. This initiative revived 24 previously inactive State Committees on Food and Nutrition, improving coordination.
However, stronger coordination alone is insufficient. Governance structures must be matched by predictable financing, timely budget releases, and sustained implementation. A major challenge is ensuring budget commitments translate into actual releases. Despite recognition of MMS importance, funding remains insufficient or uncertain in many states, leaving pregnant women without support.
Lessons from Kaduna
In Ungwan Boro community, Martha Obiagwu, Officer-in-Charge of a local health center, noted a shift: more women are accessing services. Many did not know about MMS before, but now they come after seeing benefits. During Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week, demand increases. This matters because Northern Nigeria has high anemia rates in pregnancy, linked to iron deficiency, poverty, and insecurity. Rebuilding trust in primary healthcare is key to changing those numbers.
Funding in Kaduna has improved. Ramatu Musa Haruna, state Nutrition Officer, explained that CS-SUNN's advocacy, with UNICEF and Gates Foundation, led to commitments: all local government chairmen agreed to contribute 20 million naira each to the Child Nutrition Fund, plus the governor's 500 million naira this year. These funds support MMS procurement and other commodities.
Turning Commitments into Financing
Political commitment is reflected in budgets. In 2025, 170.01 billion naira was allocated to nutrition programs, a 33.7% increase from 2024's 127.24 billion naira, and a substantial rise from 2021's 10.8 billion naira. Yet allocations alone do not save lives. The greatest challenge remains ensuring budget commitments translate into implementation. Despite growing MMS recognition, funding for procurement is insufficient or uncertain in many states, leaving access uneven.
Kaduna's experience shows what is possible when political commitment meets financing and timely fund releases. However, these examples remain exceptions. Sustained progress requires more states to prioritize nutrition and convert commitments into action. Rising inflation cannot be ignored; budget increases may not match the crisis in real terms. Accountability, transparency, and monitoring are critical, as is investment in primary healthcare, especially in rural communities.
Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare describes the nutrition crisis as a development emergency requiring urgent action. The 2023 NDHS shows 58% of women of reproductive age are anemic, and 61% of pregnant women suffer from anemia. Regional disparities persist: anemia among pregnant women is 55.2% in the South-West and 71.1% in the South-East, with iron deficiency dominant in the North.
Gains achieved remain fragile and could be reversed without stronger commitment, sustained investment, and consistent funding for high-impact interventions like MMS. Global evidence shows every dollar invested in nutrition generates returns of $16 to $27 through improved health and productivity. Progress in some states is real, belonging to communities, health workers, civil society, and government officials. Development partners like the Gates Foundation play a supporting role, but the architecture of change is built by Nigerians.
A Call to Action
Commitment to funding nutrition programs is a critical lifeline. Policies and reforms are first steps, but they must be accompanied by adequate financing, timely releases, and strong accountability. The question is no longer whether Nigeria knows what works; the evidence is clear. The question is whether proven interventions like MMS will receive sustained financing to reach every woman in need. Kaduna has demonstrated what is possible when political commitment is matched by financing. Their experience should not be the exception.
Sustained financing for nutrition and MMS should remain a standing agenda item at the Nigeria Governors' Forum and across decision-making platforms. Nigeria's maternal health crisis demands urgency, coordination, and accountability. Behind every statistic is a woman fighting to survive childbirth and a child struggling for a healthy start. Kaduna shows progress is possible. The challenge now is ensuring every state follows through on commitments so that lifesaving nutrition interventions reach those who need them most.
Rodio Diallo is deputy director, Family Health at the Gates Foundation Nigeria.
