The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, has sounded the alarm over the nutritional crisis in Kano State, revealing that more than half of the state’s children under the age of five are suffering from stunted growth.
According to UNICEF’s Chief of Field Office in Kano, Rahma Farah, 51.9 per cent of children in the state show signs of stunting — a condition caused by chronic malnutrition that results in impaired physical and cognitive development.
Speaking at the official handover of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food in Takai Local Government Area, Farah warned that the figures point to a serious public health emergency.
Represented at the event by Dr Serekeberehan Deres, UNICEF’s Health Manager in Kano, Farah explained that the numbers mean that one in every two children in Kano is not growing properly.
He also disclosed that more than 10 per cent of children are wasted — a severe form of malnutrition in which a child is dangerously underweight for their height, often due to recent and rapid weight loss.
“This is not just a health statistic,” Farah said. “Wasting significantly increases the risk of death if not treated promptly. Malnutrition undermines the survival, growth, and future potential of children, and addressing it must be a top priority for all.”
The handover ceremony marked the delivery of RUTF procured through a joint Child Nutrition Match Fund initiative by the Kano State Government and UNICEF.
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The therapeutic food is a specially formulated, high-energy paste designed to treat severe acute malnutrition in children.
Farah stressed the importance of early intervention, particularly within the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, which is considered critical for healthy growth and brain development.
He urged increased investment in both nutrition-specific interventions, such as therapeutic feeding programmes, and nutrition-sensitive approaches, including improved access to clean water, healthcare, and education.
“Investment in child nutrition is one of the most cost-effective strategies for national development,” he added. “Every naira spent on nutrition saves lives, boosts educational outcomes, and strengthens the country’s economic future.”
In his remarks, Kano State Commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Labaran, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to tackling malnutrition.
He outlined recent initiatives targeting maternal and child health, adding that the government would sustain its collaboration with UNICEF and other development partners to improve child survival rates.
“We understand the urgency,” Labaran said. “Malnutrition is robbing our children of their future, and we are determined to reverse this trend through targeted policies and community-level action.”
NAN
