Nearly 5.4 million children aged 0-59 months in northwest and northeast Nigeria are suffering from acute malnutrition and will likely continue suffering through 2025. This includes about 1.8 million cases of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and 3.6 million cases of Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM). Additionally, approximately 787,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women are acutely malnourished.

In the current period of May – September 2024, over half of the 133 Local Government Areas (LGAs) assessed were classified as IPC Acute Malnutrition (AMN) Phase 3 (Serious) or Phase 4 (Critical). Specifically, in the northeast, 10 LGAs were in Phase 4 and 21 in Phase 3; in the northwest, there were 24 in Phase 4 and 29 in Phase 3.

Key factors driving this crisis include poor food consumption, inadequate health services, and ongoing food insecurity. The number of acutely malnourished children needing treatment has risen by 23 percent since the last analysis, with SAM cases increasing by 69 percent.

The first projection period from October to December 2024 indicates that acute malnutrition levels in both the northeast and northwest regions are expected to remain largely stable compared to the current period. However, Northern Yobe is likely to see a deterioration in its situation. During the second projection period from January to April 2025, conditions in the northeast are anticipated to remain similar, with the exception of Mobbar and Nganzai in Northern Borno, where a decline is expected.

Immediate/short-term recommendations for northeast Nigeria:

• Strengthen existing early identification and referral mechanisms, such as the Family MUAC approach and routine screening by Community Health Influencers, Promoters, and Services (CHIPS), including community nutrition mobilizers.
• Reinforce preventive nutrition interventions like Maternal, Infant, and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) programs to enhance food intake (quantity and quality), as well as care and feeding practices.
• Leverage rapid response mechanisms, outreaches, and simplified approaches to deliver curative nutrition interventions in hard-to-reach areas, particularly in LGAs classified as IPC Phase 3 and above, and in response to sudden population movements.
• Intensify advocacy efforts with the government and donors to mobilize both financial and in-kind resources for nutrition interventions.
• Address the root causes of hunger and malnutrition by resolving conflicts, strengthening social safety nets, and mitigating the impacts of climate shocks.

Immediate/short-term recommendations for northwest Nigeria:

• Sustain and scale up MIYCN and IMAM services by expanding preventive nutrition programs and treating acute malnutrition to improve overall nutritional outcomes.
• Strengthen existing mechanisms for early identification and referrals such as the Family MUAC approach and routine screening to ensure timely intervention.
• Enhance routine immunization and vaccination campaigns to increase coverage for measles, Vitamin A supplementation, and other vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) through targeted campaigns (MNCH, World Breastfeeding Week) and regular immunization services.
• Improve disease surveillance and outbreak response for VPDs and waterborne diseases by implementing real-time monitoring and rapid response systems to control disease outbreaks effectively.
• Enhance maternal and child health services by providing quality antenatal, delivery, and postnatal care, reducing maternal and child mortality rates.
• Support agricultural productivity by providing climate-resilient seeds, fertilizers, and equipment to farmers affected by climate change or other crises.