According to the Unicef report, four out of five children experiencing child food poverty globally are fed only milk or a starchy staple, such as rice, maize or wheat. Less than 10% of these children are fed fruits and vegetables. And even fewer, less than 5%, are fed nutrient-dense foods such as eggs, fish, poultry or meat. The report says severe child food poverty makes children up to 50% more likely to be too thin for their height. Read news coverage based on evidence, not tweets. As a maternal and child health researcher, I have always argued that severe food poverty and malnutrition in Nigeria have significant and far-reaching implications for the health of affected children.

For instance, my research on child undernutrition examined factors associated with stunting and severe stunting among children under five in Nigeria. With 37% of Nigerian children aged 6-59 months stunted (short for their age), 7% wasted (thin for their height), and 22% underweight (thin for their age), there is an urgent need for intervention. In this article, I outline three main health implications of severe food poverty and child malnutrition. They are: stunted growth and development; increased susceptibility to diseases; and higher mortality rates.

I argue that Nigeria needs to adopt a multi-faceted approach that addresses the root causes of child malnutrition. These include: poor maternal education; absence of food security; and lack of access to quality maternal healthcare.