At least 185,502 more children were treated for acute malnutrition across seven northern states in 2025 than in the previous two years.
The latest data from Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), obtained by Sunday PUNCH, identified the affected states as Zamfara, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Bauchi, Borno, and Sokoto.
It attributed the deepening nutrition crisis to conflict, displacement and shrinking humanitarian funding since the US President Donald Trump’s administration discontinued funding for major health initiatives globally.
The figures are contained in a report titled, ‘Nigeria: Increased malnutrition crisis for children and the mental health strain for caregivers,’ published by MSF.
MSF said its teams “treated 425,634 children for acute malnutrition across northern Nigeria in 2025, a 41.8 per cent increase compared to 2024,” when the organisation treated just over 300,165 children, for a year-on-year rise of 125,469 more children.
