Kano State is grappling with a heartbreaking wave of child deaths linked to severe malnutrition, with at least 469 young lives cut short from January through July 2025 alone.
Experts warn this tragedy underscores a broader health emergency that’s ravaging Nigeria’s northern powerhouse.
During a recent workshop aimed at rallying media support for better health practices, Bayero University Kano’s media studies expert, Professor Ruqayya Aliyu Yusuf, spotlighted the dire situation.
“We’ve got to shift mindsets on eating habits if we want to save our kids from this silent killer,” she emphasised in her talk on sparking behavioural shifts to combat malnutrition.
Nigeria’s spot on the global nutrition leaderboard remains dismal, fueling concerns for millions of vulnerable children.
Fresh data from UNICEF’s 2025 analysis paints a grim picture: nationwide, around 40% of kids under five face stunted growth, but in Kano, that jumps to a staggering 51.9%.
Poverty traps families in cycles of food shortages, while outdated eating routines and limited knowledge about health basics among parents only make matters worse, according to the professor’s insights.
Adding to the urgency, crop specialist Amina Ado Yahaya highlighted Kano’s unwelcome lead in underweight children, affecting 42.6% of those under five.
“Simple backyard gardens could transform family meals and boost nutrient intake right at home,” she suggested, pushing for community-driven fixes.
Yahaya also pointed out how a lack of Vitamin A ramps up risks, leading to preventable blindness in kids and making everyday illnesses like diarrhoea or measles far deadlier, which spikes death rates across the state.