Nigeria Teams Up with US Group to Raise $1bn for Child Nutrition

The federal government is joining forces with a US group, Operation End Starvation, to raise over $1 billion to fight child malnutrition and stop deaths related to starvation in sub-Saharan Africa, with Nigeria as a key focus.

This partnership was revealed on Monday when the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, led a team from the organization and other agencies to meet with the president's wife, Oluremi Tinubu. They discussed how they can work together.

Busola Kukoyi, the Senior Special Assistant on Media to Mrs. Tinubu, said the initiative aims to support Nigeria’s fight against hunger and child malnutrition through government partnerships.

Operation End Starvation, part of the Eleanor Crook Foundation, focuses on ending child malnutrition and starvation-related deaths in sub-Saharan Africa.

Raising $1 billion

Williams Moore, the Chief Executive Officer of Operation End Starvation, stated that the aim is to direct over $1 billion to prevent child deaths caused by starvation.

He explained that this program will receive support from a US government grant and donations from global philanthropists. The focus will be on sub-Saharan Africa over the next two years, with Nigeria being one of the main countries involved.

“We want to move one billion to end starvation in the next two years across Sub Saharan Africa. The burden is high but the capacity is also very high,” Mr. Moore said.

He mentioned that the US State Department has approved Nigeria's involvement in this initiative.

“The foundation is impressed by Nigeria’s focus on combating acute malnutrition and we are seeking partnership for this global ‘Operation End Starvation’ programme,” he said.

Mr. Pate noted that this partnership would back the government's ongoing efforts to fight hunger and malnutrition.

He highlighted the National Community Food Bank Programme, which works with the Office of the First Lady, as one way to improve food access across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

“Nigeria is working hard to scale down its 6.4 million figure of acute child malnutrition, while also attending to the health of pregnant women and lactating mothers,” Mr. Pate said.

He added that several efforts are already in place to tackle the country’s nutritional challenges.

Mrs. Tinubu welcomed the new partnership and praised the dedication of government officials in various sectors.

“It’s been a delight working with Prof. Pate, Dr. Muyi and others. I also work with the Ministry of Education and others. The manpower we have now in the ministries are so wonderful,” Mrs. Tinubu said.

She stated that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is committed to improving the country’s systems and that Nigeria deserves better public services and effective use of resources.

“Nigeria deserves better and there is nothing we give to her that is too much because if the system works, it will ultimately come back to us,” she said.

“I assure you that whatever aid you give us, this health team would put it to good use.”

She also expressed faith in the health team’s ability to ensure that aid from the partnership is used effectively.

Growing Malnutrition Issues

Nigeria is still facing big challenges in tackling child malnutrition, especially in kids under five.

The health minister reported that the country has about 6.4 million cases of acute child malnutrition. The federal government is working to lower this number while also meeting the nutritional needs of pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers.

Data from UNICEF shows that around 100 children under five die from malnutrition every hour in Nigeria, which adds up to about 2,400 children daily.

It also noted that an estimated two million children under five suffer from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), but only two out of ten affected children get treatment.

Research indicates that malnutrition in Nigeria is a complex problem with many causes, including poverty, food insecurity, bad feeding practices, lack of healthcare, and poor sanitation.

Issues like conflict, lack of education, and gender inequality also add to the problem.

The 2023-2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) shows rising malnutrition across different categories: stunting, wasting, and underweight children, with boys slightly more affected than girls.

The data reveals that 50.64 percent of underweight children in Nigeria are boys.

The Eleanor Crook Foundation’s Operation End Starvation initiative aims to work directly with governments to show how large investments can help end child malnutrition and prevent starvation-related deaths in sub-Saharan Africa.