Sodiq Ojuroungbe Leading nutrition experts have expressed concern over the impact of the worsening economy and the rising prices of food on children under the age of five in the country, warning that the hardship will worsen Nigeria’s worrisome infant mortality and morbidity rate. The nutritionists noted that inadequate nutrition among children under five increases their risk of death, stressing the need for improved dietary practices at this critical stage of their development. Speaking with PUNCH Healthwise in separate interviews, the medical experts lamented that many Nigerian parents were unable to provide their children with balanced diets due to rising poverty in the country.
Recently, a report by FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO, titled ‘Financing to end hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition in all its forms’, revealed that a staggering 172 million Nigerians were reported to lack access to healthy food. According to the report, as of 2022, about 172 million Nigerians were unable to afford a healthy diet, which was about 78.7 per cent.
The report showed that the proportion of the population unable to afford a healthy diet has been increasing steadily since 2017. According to the report, as of 2022, a Nigerian, who could afford a healthy diet, would need about $3.83 (approximately N6,000 at current exchange rate) per day to be able to do so.
Similarly, a report produced by the National Bureau of Statistics and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition revealed th.