A report indicating that about 40 percent of Nigerian children under the age of five are suffering from stunted growth has renewed concerns over child malnutrition, food insecurity and the effectiveness of government interventions.

The report by the Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership, titled “Why Malnutrition Persists in Northern Nigeria: Strengthening Nutrition Governance, Financing and Primary Healthcare,” stated that 40 percent of children under five in Nigeria are stunted, while eight percent are wasted and 27 percent are underweight.

It identified the North-West and North-East as the regions carrying the heaviest burden, with stunting rates reportedly reaching 46.3 percent in Katsina, 43.8 percent in Sokoto and 42.6 percent in Zamfara.

The report attributed the persistent nutrition crisis to weak governance structures, poor accountability and failures in the implementation of existing nutrition policies, arguing that Nigeria’s challenge is no longer a lack of policies but the inability to effectively deliver them.

It also highlighted severe child food poverty in conflict-affected states, stating that 67 percent of children in Borno, 66 percent in Yobe and 60 percent in Adamawa are affected.

According to World Food Programme data cited in the report, more than 17 million people across nine conflict-affected northern states are currently facing crisis, emergency or catastrophic levels of hunger.

The authors, Dr Suleiman Bello and Joshua Abah, said Nigeria had made progress in developing nutrition policies but had struggled to establish effective systems capable of reaching vulnerable children and households.

They called for stronger accountability mechanisms, including the publication of quarterly reports detailing nutrition budget releases, procurement of nutrition commodities, health facilities supplied, wards reached and outstanding obligations.

The report also recommended that verified nutrition readiness should be made a condition for accessing performance financing under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund in high-burden states.

It further urged northern states to establish lead nutrition accountability institutions and strengthen Ward Development Committees to enable early identification of vulnerable mothers and children.

The report’s findings have triggered wider discussions over the causes of child malnutrition and whether the problem is limited to the regions identified.

In their reactions, some stakeholders argued that insecurity, rising food prices and economic hardship have worsened access to food in several parts of the country, including some North-Central states.

President of the Middle Belt Forum, Dr Pogu Bitrus, linked the worsening food situation to insecurity, saying banditry and other forms of violence have prevented farmers from accessing their farms.

“We know it is a reality because banditry has reached a stage where farmers can’t go to farm, and if farmers can’t go to farm, naturally, there won’t be food to eat,” Bitrus said.

He called on the government to tackle insecurity while providing nutritional support to vulnerable children and families.

An educationist and farmer, Sabiu Abubakar, said food shortages traditionally occur in parts of northern Nigeria around the beginning of the planting season, but insecurity has aggravated the situation and prolonged food shortages.

According to him, farmers who would ordinarily return to their farms during the planting season are increasingly being prevented from doing so by bandits and kidnappers.

Abubakar described the report as a wake-up call for governments to provide immediate food and nutritional support to vulnerable families while addressing insecurity as a long-term solution.

Public affairs analyst Adedayo Oluseye, however, argued that insecurity is only one of several factors driving food insecurity and child malnutrition.

He pointed to the rising cost of living and the impact of economic policies, including fuel subsidy removal, saying many families can no longer afford nutritious meals for their children.

Oluseye maintained that the problem extends beyond the North-West and North-East, with families in other regions also struggling to provide adequate nutrition for their children.

He called for urgent government intervention through food assistance and child nutrition supplements for vulnerable households, alongside stronger efforts to tackle insecurity and enable farmers to return safely to their farms.

The Athena Centre report warned that government interventions have often remained reactive, with assistance arriving after children have developed severe malnutrition rather than focusing on prevention during pregnancy and the first 1,000 days of life.

It stressed that child nutrition should be treated as a measurable responsibility of government rather than an emergency response activated only during humanitarian crises.

“A child should not have to become visibly wasted before the state becomes visible,” the report concluded.

ABUJA — A fresh political controversy has erupted ahead of the 2027 general elections as the International Centre for Transparency Nigeria (ICTN) alleges the existence of a high-level political arrangement involving key opposition figures and influential actors within Benue State politics.

The group, during a press conference held at the prestigious Sheraton Hotel, Abuja, and addressed by its National Leader, Prof. Joseph Vershima, alleged that a strategic alliance is being negotiated to reshape the political landscape of Benue State ahead of the 2027 elections.

According to ICTN, the alleged arrangement involves the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and former Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Mike Kaase Aondoakaa.

The group claimed that the alleged political deal is designed to influence both the presidential and governorship contests in Benue State, warning that it could have far-reaching consequences for the electoral fortunes of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the state.

Alleged “Benue Political Deal”

ICTN alleged that elements within the Benue State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have entered into an understanding to support the presidential ambition of Atiku Abubakar ahead of 2027.

The group further alleged that Chief Mike Kaase Aondoakaa, whom it described as a long-standing political associate of Atiku Abubakar, has played a key role in building a bridge between former Governor Ortom’s political structure and a faction of the APC allegedly loyal to Senator George Akume.

According to the organization, part of the alleged arrangement is that Atiku Abubakar would provide financial support for the PDP governorship candidate in Benue State, while Senator George Akume’s political structure and elements within the PDP would support and mobilize for Atiku’s presidential campaign.

The group questioned the political implications of such an arrangement, asking whether those involved would ultimately prioritize the interest of the APC and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu or pursue a separate political agenda ahead of 2027.

Warning To President Tinubu

The pressure group warned that any alleged collaboration aimed at weakening the APC’s support base in Benue could directly affect President Tinubu’s chances of retaining the state during the 2027 presidential election.

“Beyond the governorship contest, this development has implications for the presidential election because Benue remains a strategic state in the North Central,” the group stated.

ICTN urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the national leadership of the APC to pay close attention to internal political dynamics, alleging that unresolved alliances and conflicting interests within the party could pose challenges during the election.

Echoes Of 2007 Political Realignment

The organization also drew parallels with the 2007 presidential election, alleging that Senator George Akume’s political decisions at the time favoured Atiku Abubakar’s presidential bid against the preferred candidate of the ruling establishment.

It questioned whether a similar political realignment could emerge again in 2027, stating that history must not be allowed to repeat itself.

Awaiting Responses

As of the time of filing this report, Senator George Akume, former Governor Samuel Ortom, Chief Mike Kaase Aondoakaa, and representatives of Atiku Abubakar had not publicly responded to the allegations.

This publication has not independently verified the claims made by ICTN and continues to seek documentary evidence and responses from all parties mentioned.

However, the allegations have added a new dimension to the unfolding political calculations ahead of the 2027 general elections, with Benue State increasingly becoming a focal point in Nigeria’s emerging political contest.

Our attention has been drawn to a false, malicious, and unverified publication by an anonymous online platform alleging that Dr. Pius Ukeyima Akutah is involved in secret talks concerning the Benue State PDP Governorship; we categorically reject the report as a baseless fabrication published without any attempt to verify the claims with Dr. Akutah or his office. We therefore urge the public to disregard the publication entirely, as Dr. Akutah remains a loyal and committed member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and truth, professionalism, and responsible journalism will always prevail over misinformation and political propaganda.

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Comrade Atir Solomon Faeren Principal Private Adviser to Dr. Pius Ukeyima Akutah MON — with Comr Asan Doosuun Samuel and 15 others.