The numbers tell a grim story: 512 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, 14 million stunted children under five, and 61 percent of pregnant women battling anaemia. But Rodio Diallo, deputy director of Family Health at the Gates Foundation Nigeria, argues that these statistics represent real women, real lives, and real stories of resilience that rarely make it into policy conversations.
During World Nutrition Day last week, the call to action was clear: Nigeria must move beyond enabling policies to accelerate implementation of proven nutrition interventions, backed by sustained domestic financing from state and local governments. The National Development Plan (2021-2025) targets reducing maternal mortality from 512 to 300 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2025, aligning with the global goal of zero preventable maternal deaths by 2030.
At the heart of this fight is access to multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) that address iron, folate, and other deficiencies fueling maternal deaths. Yet funding for procurement remains insufficient or uncertain in many states, leaving pregnant women without the support they need.
Diallo recently visited Kaduna State, where Nigerian-led solutions are gaining ground. The Civil Society-Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) alliance, comprising over 400 civil society groups, media organizations, academics, and government stakeholders, has revived 24 previously inactive State Committees on Food and Nutrition. Through the Partnership for Improving Nigeria Nutrition Systems (PINNS) project in five states, CS-SUNN has strengthened planning, budgeting, and digital accountability systems.
In Kaduna’s Ungwan Boro community, health officer Martha Obiagwu described a remarkable shift: women are returning to local clinics after seeing neighbors benefit from MMS. Even those attending private clinics now come specifically requesting the supplements.
The funding picture is improving. All local government chairmen in Kaduna have agreed to contribute 20 million naira each to the Child Nutrition Fund, alongside the governor’s 500 million naira commitment this year. Nationally, nutrition program allocations rose from 10.8 billion naira in 2021 to 170.01 billion naira in 2025—a 33.7 percent increase from 2024.
But allocations alone don’t save lives. The 2023 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey shows 58 percent of women of reproductive age are anaemic, with regional disparities ranging from 55.2 percent in the South-West to 71.1 percent in the South-East. Inflation threatens to erode real gains, making accountability and transparency critical.
Global evidence suggests every dollar invested in nutrition generates returns of $16 to $27 through improved health and productivity. The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has labeled the crisis a development emergency, warning that urgent action is needed across all levels of government.
Diallo concludes that the question is no longer whether Nigeria knows what works—the evidence is clear. The question is whether proven interventions like MMS will receive the sustained financing required to reach every woman who needs them. Kaduna’s success should not remain the exception.
