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Tackling twin peaks of malaria and malnutrition in Kano, northwest Nigeria

Tackling twin peaks of malaria and malnutrition in Kano, northwest Nigeria
By: Michael Mike
Zuwaira Muhammad, 26, sits on a hospital bed at the Inpatient Therapeutic Feeding Centre (ITFC) at the Unguwa Uku Primary Healthcare Centre in Kano, northwest Nigeria. Here, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) offers critical treatment to children suffering from malnutrition. By her sides, lie her 10-month-old twins—Safwan, a boy, sleeping peacefully on her right, while Safuna, a girl, lying on her left-hand side is currently receiving a blood transfusion.
Safuna is one of the over 40,000 children treated for malnutrition in Kano in 2024. The children brought to MSF-supported facilities primarily come due to malnutrition but upon screening, most of them are found to also have malaria.
From January to May 2024, about 9,000 out of the 14,000 children diagnosed with malnutrition tested positive for malaria after screening. Malaria and malnutrition have a complex relationship, with malnutrition increasing the risk of malaria and malaria increasing the risk of malnutrition. This relationship can lead to a cycle of malnutrition and malaria, which can be especially harmful to children under five.
“Malaria can reduce appetite and make it harder for the body to absorb nutrients, leading to malnutrition. Conversely, malnutrition can weaken the immune system, making children more susceptible to infections like malaria,” says Dr. Yanu Mbuyi, MSF Medical Coordinator in Nigeria.
Malaria is one of the leading causes of death in Nigeria. According to the WHO’s 2024 World Malaria Report, Nigeria accounts for 26 percent of malaria cases globally. Kano state contributed an estimated nine percent of Nigeria’s 68 million malaria cases in 2021 and 30 percent of admissions to Nigeria’s hospitals are because of malaria.
Our teams in Kano have observed a distressing increase in the number of children suffering from malnutrition, as evidenced by the rise in admissions. In 2022, MSF treated 7,798 children for malnutrition; that number rose to 23,800 in 2023 and 46,304 in 2024.
“What we had in 2024 was a twin peak of malaria and malnutrition with 36,546 confirmed cases of malaria, the highest number recorded since we started working in Kano”, says Dr. Hemmed M Lokonge, the MSF Project Coordinator in Kano.
In response to the rising rates of malnutrition, MSF expanded its operations by opening additional outpatient treatment facilities in Kumbotso, and Rijiyar Lemo, alongside the already established one in Unguwa Uku. During the malnutrition crisis, the 75-bed inpatient facility in Unguwa Uku reached full capacity, prompting the opening of an additional 90-bed centre at Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital. This was full in just two hours.
“Safuna is feeling better now compared to when I brought her here a few days ago,” Muhammad says, having travelled over 40 kilometres from Wudil to access MSF services. “She was weak and could hardly move, but now she has more energy and can even laugh.”
MSF activities in Kano, which began as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, evolved to include general outpatient department support and response to the growing malnutrition crisis. Presently, MSF is the only organisation providing inpatient therapeutic feeding services in Kano, with patients coming from 37 out of the 44 local government areas (LGAs) in the state, as well as from neighbouring states.
Since 2022, MSF has consistently raised concerns about the increasing number of children admitted for malnutrition at its facilities across northern Nigeria. In 2024, our teams treated over 357,000 children who were suffering from malnutrition in the facilities where we are working in the north. This is an increase of 35 per cent compared to the 265,500 children treated in 2023. Among those treated in 2024, 75,000 required inpatient care, while 282,000 received outpatient treatment.
In 2024, the surge in malnutrition cases began as early as March, well before the usual peak season in July, and extended through November, a time when cases are typically expected to decline. This situation raises fears that the severity of malnutrition in 2025 could exceed that of previous years.
The persistent malnutrition crisis in northern Nigeria stems from a variety of factors such as inflation; food insecurity; insufficient healthcare infrastructure; ongoing security issues, and disease outbreaks worsened by low vaccine coverage.
Tackling acute malnutrition in northern Nigeria requires a multi-faceted approach. Immediate measures include strengthening healthcare facilities to diagnose and treat malnutrition. Additional steps involve reinforcing vaccine programmes, enhancing access to nutritious food, improving water and sanitation, and raising awareness.
Currently, MSF operates outpatient clinics in only three Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Kano State: Tarauni, Fagge, and Kumbotso. This limited geographical coverage is significant, considering that Kano State is made up of 44 LGAs. It underscores the insufficient number of clinics available to address the large volume of children suffering from malnutrition.
MSF advocates for establishing outpatient feeding centres across all LGAs in Kano to enhance community-based management of malnutrition and reduce severe cases. In 2025, MSF’s health promotion activities will shift focus to community education, empowering families to recognise early signs of malnutrition and address them before hospitalisation is necessary.
It is essential that health authorities, international organisations, and donors intensify their efforts to address the escalating malnutrition crisis in Kano and throughout northwest Nigeria—a region currently lacking sufficient humanitarian response, to prevent further lives from being lost in 2025.
Tackling twin peaks of malaria and malnutrition in Kano, northwest Nigeria
News
RHI Presents Food Items to Vulnerable Groups in Yobe State

RHI Presents Food Items to Vulnerable Groups in Yobe State
…Making it the 20th State to Benefit from the Support
By: Our Reporter
The Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) Food Outreach Program, launched in Abuja in March 2024 to provide monthly support to vulnerable groups and persons with disabilities, has reached Yobe State—making it the 20th state to benefit from the initiative.
Since its inception, the program has covered Abia, Adamawa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Oyo, Plateau, and Sokoto States before arriving in Yobe.
With generous support from the Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa) and another industrialist who prefers to remain anonymous, assorted food items were delivered, bringing relief to many households, particularly those with disabilities.
The First Lady and Chairman of the Renewed Hope Initiative, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, noted that donors provide two truckloads of food items to each beneficiary state for onward distribution. Represented by the Wife of the Vice President, Hajiya Nana Shettima, she highlighted Yobe as a major beneficiary of RHI programs and interventions.
These include:

- The Tony Elumelu Foundation Women Economists Empowerment Program, which supported 500 women with ₦50,000 each.
- The RHI Women Agricultural Support Scheme, where 20 women received ₦500,000 each.
- A ₦68.9 million grant from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to the Young Farmers Club.
- Annual financial support to senior citizens, with 100 beneficiaries receiving ₦100,000 each in 2023 and 250 beneficiaries receiving ₦200,000 each.
- A ₦50 million financial grant to 1,000 petty traders.
- The Women in ICT Program, aimed at empowering women in the digital economy.
According to Senator Tinubu, these interventions are designed to complement the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni represented by his Deputy Governor, Alhaji Idi Barde Gubana reaffirmed his government’s commitment to the initiative, noting that the state has aligned with RHI through various empowerment programs for women, children, and vulnerable groups. These include the distribution of household items, skill acquisition schemes, and post-insurgency recovery programs that have economically empowered many women.
The State Coordinator of RHI and Wife of the Yobe State Governor, Hajiya Hafsat Kollere Buni, expressed gratitude to the First Lady for extending such impactful support to Yobe State. She also looked forward to stronger collaborations to further project the ideals of RHI and improve the lives of the people.
Also present at the event was Dr. Ubong Udoh, Managing Director of the Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative, one of the key donors to the program.- RHI Presents Food Items to Vulnerable Groups in Yobe State


News
Monguno says lack of national cohesion fuels insurgency

Monguno says lack of national cohesion fuels insurgency
By: Zagazola Makama
Former National Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd.), has warned that Nigeria’s fight against insurgency will remain elusive without national cohesion and a united front across society.
Monguno stated this in Abuja on Thursday at the launch of Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum, a new book authored by former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor (rtd.).
He said Boko Haram and other violent groups had thrived by exploiting Nigeria’s divisions, stressing that disunity among citizens, political actors, and institutions weakened the country’s capacity to defeat terrorism.
“Without national cohesion, insurgency will not end. Terrorists feed on our fault lines – ethnic, religious, political – and they weaponise them against us. If we remain divided, no amount of military might will deliver lasting peace,” Monguno said.
He urged Nigerians to rise above parochial sentiments and embrace a spirit of patriotism, solidarity, and common purpose. According to him, the fight against insurgency must go beyond the battlefield to include reconciliation, justice, and inclusive governance.
The retired General emphasised that the scars left by Boko Haram were not just physical but also psychological and social, making unity a vital condition for national healing.
“The book reminds us that security is not just the work of soldiers. It is the responsibility of leaders, institutions, and citizens. Unless we build cohesion, insurgency will continue to mutate in different forms,” he added.
Monguno commended Gen. Irabor for documenting his experience, describing the work as a guide that combines history, strategy, and national lessons for the future.
The event was attended by former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, the Minister of Defence, service chiefs, traditional rulers, diplomats, and senior government officials.
Monguno says lack of national cohesion fuels insurgency
News
Kukah says military operations alone cannot end insurgency, stresses soft power approach

Kukah says military operations alone cannot end insurgency, stresses soft power approach
By: Zagazola Makama
The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, has said Nigeria cannot defeat insurgency through military operations alone, stressing the need to embrace soft power and address root causes of insecurity.
Kukah made this known in Abuja on Thursday while reviewing Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum, a new book authored by former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor (rtd.).
He said the country’s reliance on military doctrines and repeated counter-insurgency operations had failed to produce lasting peace because Boko Haram represented an ideology, not just an armed threat.
“For years, we have had Operation Lafiya Dole, Operation Restore Order, Operation Hadin Kai, Operation Safe Haven, and many others. Yet, when one operation fails, another is launched. These operations have not ended the insurgency because you cannot fight an idea with weapons alone,” Kukah said.
The cleric argued that describing the insurgency only in military terms forecloses other sources of information and non-kinetic solutions that are critical to peacebuilding.
According to him, Boko Haram’s struggle is framed as a jihad, and many of its fighters see death as martyrdom, making them indifferent to conventional deterrence.
“The challenge before us is not merely about defeating insurgents on the battlefield, but about understanding the soft issues of life and death. Guns cannot build peace; soft power must complement military power,” he said.
Kukah pointed to chapters 11, 12 and 13 of Irabor’s book, which emphasise reconciliation, good governance, justice, and national healing as critical conditions for security.
He praised the author’s reflections for going beyond military strategy, describing them as “the writings of a priest” that call for dialogue, reforms and moral renewal.
The bishop added that Nigeria must prioritise structural reforms, political inclusion, patriotism, and judicial integrity to tackle grievances that feed extremism.
“The urgency now is to invest in soft power – in human development, reconciliation, and building trust in institutions. Military operations can only create space; it is ideas and justice that will sustain peace,” Kukah said.
The event attracted former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, senior government officials, service chiefs, diplomats, and other dignitaries.
End
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