Sodiq Ojuroungbe
Food experts have warned that the rising food crisis and hunger in the country will worsen the number of out-of-school children.
The nutritionists said the effects of malnutrition in these early years were not only detrimental to individual health but also threatened the educational and economic futures of the entire country.
Speaking exclusively with PUNCH Healthwise, the experts explained that children who suffer from malnutrition during early childhood could lose significant IQ points and experience delays in key developmental milestones.
The United Nations Children’s Fund noted that malnutrition is a direct or underlying cause of 45 per cent of all deaths of under-five children across the world.
According to UNICEF, Nigeria is ranked number one in Africa and second in the world in terms of malnourished children with 37 per cent of them, or 6 million children, stunted (chronically malnourished or low height for age), more than half of them severely.
The global organisation added that 18 per cent of children in Nigeria suffer from wasting (acutely malnourished or low weight for height), half of them severely, while 29 per cent of the children are underweight (both acutely and chronically malnourished or low weight for age).
PUNCH Healthwise had reported that the average cost of a healthy diet for a Nigerian adult rose from N858 in January to N1,241 in June 2024, according to the June ‘Cost of Healthy Diet’ survey produced by the National Bureau of Statistics and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition.
The NBS report showed that the CoHD increased by 45 per cent in the first six months of 2024, while the general inflation and food inflation rose to 33 and 40 per cent, respectively.
Reacting to the ongoing food crisis in Nigeria and how it contributes to the burden of child malnutrition, the food experts stated that malnourished children not only do poorly in school but also have lower chances of earning money in the future, which keeps their families in economic trouble.
While stressing the need for targeted interventions, the experts advocated for comprehensive strategies that address food insecurity, including community-based nutrition programmes, educational initiatives, and policies aimed at increasing access to healthy food for families in need.
A registered nutritionist, Mrs. Odunayo Babatunde explained that malnutrition could lead to neurological decline, motor skill delays, and reduced brain size.
According to her, the educational trajectories of malnourished children are concerning, as key nutrients are essential for brain development, and deficiencies can have lasting impacts.
Babatunde highlighted the critical first 1,000 days of life, from conception to the age of two, as a vital period for brain development.
She, however, said nutritional deprivation during this stage could have dire consequences for cognitive development, adding that children who suffer from malnutrition during these formative years can lose between 5 to 11 IQ points and face challenges in learning and reaching developmental milestones.
When asked about the link between nutrition and academic performance, the nutritionist said malnourished children struggle across all areas of development.
She said stunted children often face difficulties with basic classroom tasks due to low energy and impaired cognitive abilities.
She added, “Malnutrition rates among under-five children in Nigeria are unacceptably high. The latest data reveal that at least one in every three children under the age of five in Nigeria is suffering from stunting; wasting, in contrast, is seen in about one child out of fifteen and being underweight in one child out of five. These statistics are not mere numbers, but a very significant danger to the learning abilities of millions of children.
“The relationship between malnutrition and brain development is of increasing concern especially during the first 1000 days of life right from conception up to the age of two years. This age will be appreciated as a critical developmental phase when a brain literally builds connections and a fundamental framework. Deprivation during this period can have highly unfavourable consequences for a child’s intellectual development.
“There is considerable evidence pointing at the nutrition and academic performance relationship and this research has shown that the effects of malnutrition cuts across all facets of the child. Through poor nutrition, stunted children cannot perform well in simple class work due to low energy levels and impaired neuropsychological abilities. Students realise that they are severely limited in their capacity to focus, as well as their information-processing and recall capabilities.
“Some of these difficulties are observed in classroom settings and present themselves in the form of less engagement in the activity, poor comprehension of lessons taught, and poor performance in problem-solving assignments. This cumulative effect therefore poses a major cumulative effect on students’ success in their academics.”
When asked how malnutrition can increase the dropout rate, the food expert explained, “The educational performance of the children who suffer from malnutrition has distinct trajectories. Such children are likely to be absent from school, perform poorly, and eventually be dropped out of school. When one has minimised learning capacity and physical strength this is not a very conducive environment to expect high results from.
“A lot of kids in developing nations do not get an opportunity to go to school and read because they suffer from malnutrition.
“Among the many things that perpetuate poverty, the effects of malnutrition are devastating. Educational failure and lower earning capability due to the short and long-term effects of low human capital investment are the long-term costs of children’s malnutrition. This leads to the creation of a cycle where their own children will also suffer from malnutrition.
“By requiring families to pay for even the basic expenses of their healthcare, high costs of quality healthcare care and loss of productivity perpetuates families in poverty.
“The fiscal consequences of poor nutrition not only cut across the household level but also an entire nation. At the family level, it starts with present expenses arising from healthcare costs and loss of wages. Community loses productivity while gains in terms of health care cost. On the national level, the combined effect of malnutrition is significant enough to reduce the GDP by as much as two to three per cent; a huge hindrance to the growth of the country’s economy.”
To tackle malnutrition, Babatunde emphasised the importance of a comprehensive approach by the government.
She stressed that effective solutions should combine immediate assistance for malnourished children with long-term strategies, such as education and community support.
“Effective intervention can therefore work at both a short-term level by providing supplementation to malnourished children and at the more sustainable level by providing education as well as working to strengthen community institutions.
“Since achieving the best outcome for children’s nutrition is a challenge for parents and caregivers, especially those with limited finances, the following will be recommended. This includes seeking to make the available foods as nutritious as possible, discovering what kind of food preparation is best for the body and how to use the available community resources. Knowledge of factors necessary for a balanced diet ensures families get the best nutrition with available resources.
“It is perhaps important to stress that all the stakeholders involved in combating malnutrition cannot be overemphasised. The school can act as an important site for intervention through feeding programmes and nutrition education.
“People can organise themselves with some kind of cooperation regarding food sharing and buying through food co-ops. Government actors follow and work on food security policies, including vaccination of health sectors and applying nutrition-sensitive policies.
“Since solving the problem of malnutrition among children is critical for achieving sustainable development, all these stakeholders must come in to support one another,” she concluded.
On her part, a Chief Dietitian Nutritionist, Olufunmilola Ogunmiluyi explained that malnutrition can stem from deficiencies, excesses, or imbalances in nutrients and energy.
Ogunmiluyi stressed that children with multiple indicators of malnutrition tend to have lower IQ levels by the age of 11.
The food expert further explained that malnutrition can disrupt the formation of neural connections in the brain, leading to stunted growth and diminished cognitive abilities.
She added that children facing malnutrition might experience delays in language, memory, attention, and problem-solving skills, which can hinder their academic success.
She stated, “School-age children who suffered from early childhood malnutrition have generally been found to have poorer IQ levels, poor cognitive function and poor school achievement. Stunting is linked to poor cognitive development, lowered performance in education, and low productivity in adulthood.
“The first two years of a child’s life are the most critical period for preventing malnutrition. This is because the body is growing and developing rapidly during this time.
“Malnutrition can hinder the formation of neural connections in the brain, which can lead to stunted brain growth and reduced cognitive abilities. Malnourished children may experience cognitive delays in areas such as language, memory, attention, and problem-solving skills.
“Malnourished children may have difficulty grasping concepts, performing well on tests, and staying focused in the classroom.
“The developing human brain from the foetus requires all essential nutrients to form and to maintain its structure. Infant and child cognitive development is dependent on adequate nutrition. Children who do not receive sufficient nutrition are at high risk of exhibiting impaired cognitive skills.”
When asked if malnutrition can lead to a high rate of dropout, the nutritionist said, “Yes, malnutrition can lead to poor education outcomes and increased drop-out rates.
“Malnutrition and poverty are linked in a vicious cycle that fuels each other and can be detrimental to the development of a country.
“Nutritional imbalances reduce work capacity and human capital, and this makes countries more susceptible to poverty. Furthermore, malnutrition is also a consequence of poverty, as poverty increases food insecurity and hidden hunger; which contributes to the problem of malnutrition in households with limited resources.”
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