Angela Onwuzoo Nutritionists have expressed concern over the alarming rate of hunger in the country, revealing that children under the age of five years are now going to school on empty stomachs. They warned that children who go to school without eating will have low immunity and lack concentration in class. They further revealed that such children are at risk of having low intelligence quotient and impaired cognitive development, which will lead to poor academic performance.
As the months roll by, food prices have continued to soar, with the cost of staple foods such as garri, rice and others increasing astronomically. Also, the cost of bread, ‘pure water’, bottled water, soft drinks, and many others has increased. The nutritionists, who spoke exclusively to PUNCH Healthwise said the economic hardship in the country is causing hunger and deepening poverty in families.
They called on the Federal Government to urgently address the issue of hunger, warning that children battling with hunger will end up malnourished, anaemic, and stunted, and will not be able to achieve their full potential as well as contribute meaningfully to national development. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu The National Demographic and Health Survey 2018, indicates that currently, one in three Nigerian children suffer from stunting. In 2023 the United Nations Children’s Fund disclosed that 23.
5 million out of the 35 million are suffering from anaemia. UNICEF logo They expressed worry over the health and.
