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Published By:
USAID Advancing Nutrition
Publication Date:
Technical Report
Nigeria
English

In Nigeria, malnutrition remains a problem of public health significance across all age groups and geographies. The causes and risk factors of malnutrition are multifaceted; thus a multi-sectoral approach is needed to address them. The National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria was revised in 2016; it provides the overarching policy framework for multi-sectoral action to reduce malnutrition in the country. The policy recognizes the “multi-sectoral and cross-cutting nature of food and nutrition,” thereby setting the tone for a multi-sectoral response to reducing malnutrition (Ministry of Budget and Planning 2016). The National Multi-Sectoral Plan of Action for Food and Nutrition 2021–2025 (NMPFAN) builds from the policy and guides the implementation of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions across sectors to address the challenges of hunger and malnutrition (FMFBNP 2021). Reducing wasting is a priority in both policy documents with a target to reduce childhood wasting, including severe acute malnutrition (SAM), from 18 percent in 2013 to 10 percent in 2025.

Mother looking fondly at her small infant daughter