Amidst the worsening economic, social and healthcare challenges in the country, children are increasingly being affected and their basic needs for survival are no longer guaranteed. Reports in 2020 showed that at least one in three children did not grow well because of malnutrition, and at least two in three are not fed the minimum diet they need to grow, develop and learn to their full potential.

According to the findings of the United Nations, Nigeria has one of the highest maternal and child deaths globally. About 20 per cent of global maternal deaths occur in Nigeria with more of these deaths occurring in rural areas. The report of National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS 2018) quoted by UNICEF said maternal mortality in the country is 556 per 100,000. Most of these deaths occur either during pregnancy, at childbirth or within two months postpartum.

The report also said that there are approximately 40 million children under five years of age in Nigeria, of which one in eight do not survive to their fifth birthday: leading to a mortality rate of 132 per 1000 live births.

Despite the economic growth Nigeria recorded over the last decade, poverty remains persistent, with child malnutrition becoming the order of the day in most parts of the country. The situation has also come with widespread inequity and regional disparities, which has been further compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The UN said an estimated 40 per cent of Nigerians (about 83 million people) live below the poverty line (US$1.05 per day). In the same vein, the report showed that the overall poverty incidence in Nigeria stood at 64 per cent in 2016, with almost two-thirds of that total found in rural areas with the north-east of the country exhibiting the highest level (74 per cent). This Day