To complement and boost government efforts in tackling the issue of malnutrition in Nigeria, the Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) says plans are afoot to immediately start feeding one million children across the country.

According to the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) malnutrition is a direct or underlying cause of 45% of all deaths of under-five children, with Nigeria’s two million kids suffering from severe acute malnutrition and a national prevalence rate of 37% of children under five, making it the second highest in the world.

To reverse the negative trend, Chairman of the foundation, Aliko Dangote was quoted as noting the importance of nutrition, given its cross-cutting issue which affects other critical development goals.

That is why, he continued, “nutrition has become our core focus.

“We want to reach one million malnourished children in Nigeria, and we know that for every dollar invested in nutrition, the nation as a whole will reap huge economic dividends…

“In addition, we shall reach households of children with SAM and their communities that contribute the most to the SAM burden with food security, cash-based interventions and livelihoods support, engendered infant and young child feeding, hygiene and care-seeking behaviours,” he stressed.