Abuja: The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to eliminating malnutrition in Nigeria through collaborative, community-based strategies and sustained policy action. This assurance was given by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, during the 2025 Clinical Nutrition Conference of the West African Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (WASPEN), in Abuja. Pate was represented by Dr Emmanuel Abata, Director of the Nutrition Information System.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Pate described the theme of the conference, ‘Bridging the Gap: Integrating Hospital, Community and Malnutrition Care in Developing Countries,’ as timely and urgent, citing the persistent burden of malnutrition across the country. He emphasized that malnutrition remains a critical public health challenge with significant impacts on the health system and economic productivity. Pate highlighted the importance of ensuring that nutrition support continues seamlessly from hospital discharge into the community.
The minister also outlined key federal initiatives, including the N774 programme, a multi-sectoral intervention aimed at delivering nutrition support to all 774 Local Government Areas. The ministry is scaling up the training of frontline healthcare workers and implementing the National Guidelines for Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition to standardize care and improve health outcomes. Additional efforts include distributing nutritional commodities to states and strengthening partnerships with professional bodies like WASPEN to drive research, evidence-based policymaking, and effective community outreach.
Dr Dolapo Fasawe, Mandate Secretary of the FCT Health Services and Environment Secretariat, raised concerns over the dual burden of malnutrition, noting the rising rates of both undernutrition and overnutrition, particularly in urban areas like the FCT. Represented by Dr Olugbenga Bello, Director-General of the FCTA Hospital Management Board, Fasawe highlighted issues such as protruding stomachs among middle-aged men as a form of malnutrition. She called for collaboration with pharmaceutical companies to produce affordable, locally tailored nutritional solutions.
Prof. Cyril Osifo, Chairman of the Conference, presented alarming statistics: over 37 per cent of Nigerian children, around six million, are stunted, and two million suffer from severe acute malnutrition. Osifo pointed out that malnutrition and food insecurity are major threats to human development, driven largely by poverty. He called for education, policy reform, and improvements in food preservation and sanitation. He also addressed post-discharge malnutrition, noting that many patients relapse or die due to poor nutrition after leaving the hospital.
WASPEN President, Dr Teresa Pounds, advocated for mandatory nutritional screening for all hospitalised patients. She emphasized the need for parenteral nutrition for those unable to eat and the importance of dedicated teams, including dietitians, pharmacists, nurses, and physicians, to manage these cases. Pounds revealed that WASPEN is working with partners to begin local production of parenteral nutrition formulas in Nigeria, with a pilot collaboration already in progress. She stated that the society’s annual conferences aim to build the capacity of health professionals and promote the importance of clinical nutrition in recovery and long-term health outcomes.