World Bank approves $50 million for Nigeria’s worsening nutrition crisis

The World Bank has approved a $50 million allocation under the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) Project 2.0.

The fund aims to enhance nutritional outcomes among vulnerable populations, responding to the country’s urgent need for intervention in child and adolescent nutrition.

The funding was announced by Ndiame Diop, the World Bank Country Director, during a high-level meeting with Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Villa.

“The World Bank has dedicated $50 million under ANRiN 2.0 as a crisis response initiative, reflecting the urgency of addressing Nigeria’s nutritional challenges,” Mr Diop remarked.

Hunger crisis

Nigeria has faced persistent challenges with malnutrition over the years, a crisis that has worsened amid current economic hardships, driven in part by harsh government policies such as fuel and electricity subsidies removal.

According to The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), an estimated 2 million children in Nigeria suffer from severe acute malnutrition, yet only two in every 10 affected children receive the necessary treatment. Additionally, seven percent of women of childbearing age are affected by acute malnutrition, highlighting the urgency of comprehensive intervention.

Trina Haque, the World Bank’s Practice Manager for Health, Nutrition, and Population, highlighted the importance of nutrition education in early child development, urging broader outreach to counter malnutrition at its root causes.

N-774 Initiative

Vice President Shettima unveiled the N-774 Initiative, a programme that seeks to tackle malnutrition by embedding nutrition-focused interventions in each of Nigeria’s 774 local government areas (LGAs).

Mr Shettima described the initiative as an extension of the ANRiN project, tailored to directly engage communities at the local level and drive sustainable improvements.

“This administration, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is pioneering locally owned solutions to Nigeria’s nutrition crisis, focusing on community-driven and sustainable outcomes,” he said.

The N-774 Initiative integrates objectives across education, health, agriculture, and social protection, aiming to deliver a unified approach to nutritional health that respects each community’s unique needs.

He stressed the importance of Nigerian-led responses to the malnutrition issue, emphasizing that “Malnutrition is a Nigerian problem that requires a Nigerian solution,” adding that the N-774 Initiative would strengthen local ownership, promote nutritional education, and create a sustainable impact by tailoring solutions to each LGA’s specific challenges.

Mr Shettima outlined the administration’s strategy for swift implementation, stressing the significance of leveraging political will and international partnerships to tackle the country’s negative nutrition indicators.

“Through sustained collaboration between federal and sub-national governments and support from international partners, we are confident this approach will produce meaningful improvements in community health outcomes,” he affirmed.