Birnin Kebbi – The malnutrition crisis in Kebbi State is rapidly worsening, exposing thousands of children to hunger, disease and premature death as health facilities struggle with rising admissions and families battle deepening poverty.
Across rural communities and urban settlements, severely undernourished children—many with sunken eyes, frail bodies and weakened immunity—have become an increasingly common sight, signalling a humanitarian emergency that extends beyond seasonal food shortages.
Health workers say the situation has shifted from a recurring challenge to a structural crisis, driven by widespread poverty, food insecurity and fragile healthcare systems.
Findings by DAILY POST reveal that many households in Kebbi now survive on limited meals, with children often receiving the smallest portions as families grapple with soaring food prices and shrinking incomes.
Recent data from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, shows that admissions of malnourished children across its facilities in Kebbi State increased by 74.1 per cent between January and June 2025, reflecting what the organisation described as a deepening and sustained emergency.
A senior MSF medical officer, Dr Hamza Bello, disclosed that between January and May 2025, 24,784 children were admitted into inpatient therapeutic feeding centres, while 107,461 children received care under outpatient nutrition programmes—representing a 13 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2024.
According to him, outpatient services cater to children with uncomplicated cases of severe acute malnutrition, while critical cases are admitted for intensive treatment.
“In one instance, we recorded about 400 admissions in a single day,” Bello said, describing the situation as unprecedented and warning that cases could rise further during peak malnutrition periods.
DAILY POST also gathered that some caregivers travel distances of up to 100 kilometres to access treatment centres, exposing significant gaps in access to specialised healthcare across the state.
At several nutrition centres visited, health workers confirmed that many children arrive late, often when complications such as infections and organ failure have already set in.
A health worker in Maiyama Local Government Area, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said many parents fail to recognise early signs of malnutrition or lack the resources to seek timely medical care.
Beyond statistics, the crisis is measured in the daily struggles of families watching their children lose weight, fall ill repeatedly and fight for survival.
Experts note that malnutrition in Kebbi is driven not only by hunger but also by poor infant feeding practices, limited dietary diversity, recurrent diseases and weak primary healthcare systems.
Agricultural challenges, climate change impacts and insecurity have further disrupted farming activities, worsening food shortages, particularly in rural communities.
Nutrition advocate Aisha Abdullahi described malnutrition as a reflection of broader social and economic failures.
“When children are malnourished, it shows that families are struggling and that systems are not working as they should,” she said.
International organisations have repeatedly flagged rising malnutrition in northern Nigeria, with Kebbi listed among the most affected states. MSF warned that many children arrive at treatment centres in critical condition, underscoring the urgent need for early intervention and stronger community-based prevention programmes.
The organisation called on the Kebbi State Government to ensure steady supplies of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) and to scale up both preventive and curative nutrition programmes.
Experts also urged authorities to prioritise infant and young child feeding practices, nutrition counselling, access to affordable nutritious food and expanded social protection for vulnerable households.
Efforts to reach the Commissioner for Health, Hon. Samaila Yakubu Augie, proved unsuccessful as his phone line was switched off. However, a ministry official, who spoke anonymously, said the commissioner was out of town and had assumed office less than five months ago following his deployment from the Ministry of Internal Security in October 2025.
The Ministry of Health has faced criticism under the current administration, with the governor previously suspending a former commissioner over alleged dereliction of duty.
As the crisis deepens, residents warn that without coordinated, sustained and long-term action, more children will continue to suffer from preventable hunger and disease.
For families across Kebbi State, malnutrition is no longer a distant policy issue—it is a daily reality threatening the survival of their children and the future of their communities.
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