Lean Season Triggers Sharp Rise in Malnutrition Across Nigeria

According to the March 2025 Cadre Harmonisé analysis, over 31 million people in Nigeria, across 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory, are experiencing crisis-level or worse (Phase 3+) food insecurity during the June-October lean season of 2025. This marks a sharp 22% increase from last year, with 5.5 million more people facing critical food insecurity compared to 2024. According to recent data, 3.5 million children under five are reported to be severely acutely malnourished in the country, with 2 million in the northeast and northeast. Among the 2 million, 400,000 are reported to be at high risk of mortality due to nutrition stockouts if nothing is done immediately to reverse the situation.

This situation is rooted in a myriad of factors, including persistent insecurity, economic shocks and inflation, climate shocks, and disrupted livelihoods, which remain the key drivers of this worsening crisis. During the lean season, also known as the ‘hunger season’ or ‘pre-harvest period,’ families are already forced to adopt negative coping strategies, including skipping meals, selling their belongings and valuable assets, or borrowing money just to get by. In Northern Nigeria, decades of conflict and increasing insecurity have severely restricted access to farmland, leaving many communities in a desperate struggle for survival. With fields abandoned and livelihoods disrupted, families face mounting food shortages, forcing them to rely on coping strategies that threaten their health and livelihoods.

Sokoto State, in Northwest Nigeria, Sees Alarming Rise in Malnutrition Admissions

Sokoto State, like many other States in northwest Nigeria, is experiencing a marked increase in admissions for severe acute malnutrition (SAM) at key stabilization centers located in the health facilities. This trend highlights the pressure of the lean season, which exposes vulnerable populations to heightened risks of hunger, malnutrition, and disease as food stocks deplete due to a lack of purchasing power to restock. Recent data from July 2025, from Action Against Hunger facilities in Sokoto State, reveal alarming trends. In July 2025 alone, admissions for severe acute malnutrition (SAM) increased by approximately 68% compared to June, with health centers operating at full bed capacity, while there are only a few stabilization centers in the State, due to a funding crisis.

The current situation in Sokoto highlights a wider national trend: the lean season is more than a predictable cycle – it is a humanitarian flashpoint that requires proactive, immediate, and adequately funded interventions.

In Sokoto, approximately 1.16 million children under five – including 297,832 suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) – and 129,844 pregnant and breastfeeding women affected by acute malnutrition, have access to just six stabilization centers across the entire state to treat SAM patients with medical complications. Of these, only three are supported by Action Against Hunger: Gwadabawa, Tambuwal, and Bodinga General Hospitals. Data from these facilities indicates sustained month-on-month increases in new admissions, pointing to a worsening crisis currently. From April to July 2025, 900 children were admitted across these facilities, comprising 51.9% boys and 48.1% girls.

Gwadabawa General Hospital is one of the main health facilities in the area, serving the other five Local Government Areas. Admissions skyrocketed by 94.6% in July compared to June placing immense pressure on facility resources.

“We are seeing a relentless stream of severely malnourished children in our facilities,” says Dr. Muhammad Maiturare, Head of Gwadabawa General Hospital and Stabilization center supported by Action Against Hunger. “The lean season, coupled with displacement from flood and insecurity, has created a surge. Our capacity is overstretched, and without scaled-up support, the situation will further deteriorate.”

In Tambuwal General Hospital, admissions rose by 75.3% in July. And at Bodinga General Hospital, admissions surged by 114% in July. 

July saw a steep surge in admissions across all three facilities, confirming it as the peak of the malnutrition season. This trend underscores the urgent need to expand inpatient capacity, ensure the rapid delivery of therapeutic nutrition supplies, and strengthen community-level screening and referral systems.

As of August 24, 2025, inpatient admissions across these centers have reached their peak, with a 123% bed capacity in Bodinga and 142% in the Tambuwal Stabilization Center. SAM children  sometimes have to share their hospital bed with another SAM child. The response capacity is overstretched, coupled with limited resources for expansion and a dwindling pipeline for essential nutrition supplies. Without urgent support to fund the nutrition pipeline, over 200,000 children in the Northwestern states will be left without care and hence spell mortality.

Increase in Malnutrition across Borno State

Our teams are observing an increase in admissions trends at the supported health facilities in Borno State. At the Fatima Alimodu Sheriff health facility, for example, total admissions climbed steadily from 116 in April to 144 in May, and then to 168 in June. This represents a 24.1% increase from April to May, followed by a 16.7% rise from May to June. The pace of increase signals mounting pressure on the facility’s capacity. The 1000 Housing stabilization center experienced a more pronounced jump in admissions, with total cases increasing by 71.8% from April to May and a further rise of 83.7% in June.

These figures reveal a system stretched to its limits, and without immediate support, the situation is set to deteriorate rapidly. The sharp rise in May, particularly in the 1000 Housing stabilization center, indicates a tipping point in community-level food insecurity, where coping mechanisms begin to fail and families seek urgent medical intervention.

These figures underscore the severity of the current nutrition crisis and the urgent need for scaled-up interventions, as noted by Dr. Mohammed Asheik, a healthcare worker at Fatima Alimodu Sherriff (FAS) facility: “Especially with the incidents of flooding impacting some parts of the state, the volume of SAM cases with medical complications is overwhelming. Early intervention is critical, but the current scale of need demands an emergency response”.

The combination of seasonal hunger, ongoing conflict, displacement, significant reduction of humanitarian funding, and climate shocks has triggered a severe malnutrition emergency in Nigeria. The poorest and most vulnerable populations are suffering the most from this crisis, especially in the hard-to-reach areas, with children facing acute malnutrition and food insecurity that could have long-term, lasting consequences. Without swift and coordinated action, Nigeria risks losing thousands of children to preventable causes, including hunger, malnutrition, and disease.