FG declares micronutrient deficiency national emergency
The federal government has declared micronutrient deficiency a major public health and development emergency, revealing that 40 per cent of Nigerian children under five are stunted, according to the 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey. The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, disclosed this in Abuja at the 2025 […]
minister of state for health and social welfare, dr iziaq adekunle salako
The federal government has declared micronutrient deficiency a major public health and development emergency, revealing that 40 per cent of Nigerian children under five are stunted, according to the 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, disclosed this in Abuja at the 2025 National Micronutrient Conference, warning that the crisis, often described as “hidden hunger,” continues to threaten child survival, learning outcomes and national productivity.
Salako said the survey also showed that 27 per cent were underweight, describing the figures as unacceptable and a call for urgent national action.
“Micronutrient deficiency affects millions of Nigerians, particularly children under five, pregnant and lactating women and other vulnerable groups,” the minister said, noting that the condition leads to stunted growth, weakened immunity, poor cognitive development and increased risk of disease and death.
He warned that beyond its health impact, malnutrition undermines education, workforce productivity and economic development, perpetuating poverty and underdevelopment.
Salako said the 2025 conference, themed: ‘Strengthening Resilient Systems for Addressing Micronutrient Deficiencies in Nigeria’ was convened to move beyond discussions to coordinated national action.
Salako said the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare would continue to prioritise nutrition through programmes, including multiple micronutrient supplementation for pregnant women, vitamin A supplementation for children, food fortification, salt iodisation and maternal, infant and young child nutrition initiatives.
In her welcome address, the permanent secretary in the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachollom, said the gathering brought together policymakers, researchers, development partners, academia, the civil society, the private sector and the media to forge a unified response to what she described as “hidden hunger.”
She said deficiencies in key micronutrients such as iron, vitamin A, zinc, folate and vitamin B12 had continued to undermine health, learning capacity and productivity, particularly among women of reproductive age and children under five.
“Behind every statistic is a mother, a child, a passion and a future that must not be left to chance,” she said, citing findings of the 2021 National Food Consumption and Micronutrient Survey, which showed that despite progress, a significant proportion of Nigerians still lacked adequate intake of essential micronutrients.
Also speaking, the World Health Organisation (WHO) representative in Nigeria, Dr Pavel Ursu, described the conference as “a call to action” and reaffirmed the agency’s support for Nigeria’s nutrition agenda.