A nation's greatest asset is its people. For Nigeria to realise the full potential of her human capital, there must be strong focus and effort to build a well-nourished and healthy population. The link between nutrition and economic productivity is undeniable. Malnourished individuals, especially children, are more prone to suffer from cognitive impairments, stunted growth, and diminished learning abilities, limiting their ability to contribute to the workforce in adulthood. This has significant implications for Nigeria, which has one of the largest youth populations globally.
At the NutriVision 2024 event, co-hosted by Technoserve and Nile University, Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, spoke with young leaders, nutrition experts, and advocates to emphasise the critical importance of addressing the challenge of malnutrition, especially among women and children through investments in health, education, agricultural and financing solutions.
The Economic Case for Nutrition
Malnutrition remains a significant obstacle to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) particularly in low- and middle-income countries such as Nigeria. Malnutrition continues to undermine economic development. According to UNICEF, over 11 million children under the age of 5 in Nigeria are facing acute child food poverty making them up to 50% more likely to experience severe life-threatening forms of malnutrition such as wasting and stunting. While stunting rates are on a decline globally, it remains persistently high in Sub-Saharan Africa, contributing to low productivity and long-term economic stagnation. Studies have shown that investments in nutrition can yield substantial results for economic progress.
The World Bank estimates that for every dollar spent on nutrition intervention, a return of $23 is expected. Scale-up of nutrition interventions is estimated to generate up to $2.4 trillion dollars in economic benefits. The Gates Foundation also estimates that improvements in nutrition could help low- and middle-income countries achieve over USD 500 billion in economic gains by 2030. This makes investments in nutrition not just a public health intervention, but a critical component of national economic policy. Addressing malnutrition requires multifaceted approaches, focusing on access to nutritious food, education and healthcare while ensuring that vulnerable populations particularly women and children are prioritised.
Empowering Women: The Key to Nutritional Progress
Women and children are disproportionately affected by malnutrition. Poor maternal nutrition can increase the risk of stillbirth, newborn death, and preterm delivery. Foetal development can also be affected, resulting in lifelong consequences that may negatively impact the child's health, cognitive abilities, and overall well-being. These developmental challenges can lead to reduced productivity in adulthood and contribute to persisting gender inequalities, as women often bear the disproportionate burden of care and socioeconomic disparities.
Improving women's access to nutrition and healthcare is key to achieving gender equality. Women play a pivotal role in community and household nutrition. Women are often responsible for childcare, nurturing and nourishing their families. However, barriers like limited access to resources and low decision-making power can hinder their ability to make sound choices for their nutrition and that of their children, predisposing them to malnutrition. NutriVision 2024 further recognised the importance of investing in women's health, particularly maternal and child nutrition, which is critical to breaking the cycle of poverty and malnutrition.
Women with access to economic opportunities are better equipped to devote household resources to food, education, and healthcare, leading to improved outcomes for children. Healthy, well-nourished mothers are more likely to give birth to healthy babies, resulting in a ripple effect that benefits entire communities.
A Holistic Approach to Child Nutrition
Children, especially in their first 1,000 days of life, are particularly vulnerable to the effects of poor nutrition. This critical window of development sets the stage for lifelong health and economic potential. Undernourished children are more likely to drop out of school, have reduced earning potential, and remain trapped in the cycle of poverty. Improving child nutrition is, therefore, not just a moral imperative but a strategic investment in Nigeria's future workforce.
There is a need for a more holistic approach to addressing nutrition in Nigeria that combines food security with education, healthcare, and social protection systems. Recommendations include that Nigeria can learn from successful programmes in other countries, such as conditional cash transfers to mothers that incentivise positive health behaviours, school feeding programmes, and community-based nutrition education.
Technology and innovation have continued to provide solutions to complex global challenges. NutriVision 2024 highlighted the potential to revolutionise agricultural productivity, enhance food distribution systems, and provide real-time data for monitoring and addressing malnutrition.
To explore the transformative power of digital tools in health and nutrition, especially in regions with limited infrastructure, mobile health (mHealth) solutions could be used to educate mothers in rural areas on proper nutrition and healthcare practices.
Agricultural innovations such as biofortified crops and climate-resilient farming techniques can also improve the availability of nutritious foods, particularly in regions vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
The Time to Act is Now
As Nigeria continues to evolve, the country must place nutrition at the centre of its development agenda. The message at NutriVision 2024 was clear: nutrition is not just a health issue -- it is an economic and societal issue that holds the key to unlocking Nigeria's full potential.
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Making food available is a step in the right direction. However, making nutritious food available is critical. Malnutrition prevention in a child begins with the mother's nutritional and health status throughout pregnancy. Investments in maternal nutrition, particularly the provision of prenatal vitamins, which will provide essential micronutrients to reduce maternal anaemia, are imperative. Ensuring these interventions are widely accessible to pregnant women will improve birth outcomes, laying a strong foundation for the health of future generations.
Additionally, focusing on climate-resilient agriculture is vital. As climate change impacts food production, adopting sustainable agricultural practices can ensure long-term food security. This approach is key to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially those aimed at reducing hunger, empowering women, and improving early childhood health (SDG 2 -- Zero hunger, SDG 3 -- Good health and well-being, and SDG 5- Gender Equality).
Empowering women and prioritising child nutrition will provide the foundation for a healthier, more productive workforce. This, in turn, will help economic growth and sustainable development for Nigeria. By prioritising investments in nutrition, especially for women and children, Nigeria can break the cycle of malnutrition and move towards a brighter, more prosperous future. To reap the benefits of a healthy, well-nourished population, we must emphasise "nutrition security," which includes both nutritional quality and long-term resilience, beyond food security.
