Nigeria’s worsening hunger crisis is pushing more children into severe malnutrition, with some now forced to rely on leftover food from social events or scraps originally meant for animal feed.
According to reports, rising poverty levels, food inflation, and insecurity in farming communities have combined to create a situation where millions of families cannot provide adequate meals for their children. In urban areas, children are increasingly seen gathering at parties, ceremonies, and restaurants, hoping to secure leftover food, while in rural communities, some families resort to feeding their children low-quality meals designed for livestock.
Experts warn that the trend reflects a deepening humanitarian crisis. Malnutrition among Nigerian children is already at alarming levels, with UNICEF estimating that over 15 million children under five suffer from stunting or wasting.
Health workers also caution that the lack of access to balanced diets could leave lasting effects on physical growth, learning ability, and overall development.The situation has been worsened by persistent inflation, which has seen the prices of staple foods like rice, maize, and beans rise beyond the reach of many households. Insecurity, particularly in the country’s northern states, has further limited food production as farmers abandon their lands due to repeated attacks by armed groups.
Civil society groups and aid organisations have urged the government to act urgently, calling for targeted interventions to support vulnerable families, stabilize food supply chains, and address rising food prices. Without such measures, they warn, Nigeria risks a generation of children growing up in hunger and deprivation.
Sunday Buna Ibrahim is a seasoned journalist with Daily Frontier (dailyfrontier.com.ng), where he reports on security, conflicts, and humanitarian issues across Nigeria’s Middle Belt, particularly Plateau and Benue States. He also serves as a News Producer at Vision FM Radio in Abuja. Prior to joining Daily Frontier, he worked with Radio Nigeria, Fombina FM Yola in Adamawa State between 2019 and 2020.
