Nigeria Fights Child Malnutrition With Cash and Courage

Bilkisu was running out of hope. The 38-year-old mother of six lives with a visual impairment in Njimtilo, Borno State, where daily survival meant choosing between food and her children's education.

When doctors diagnosed one of her daughters with severe acute malnutrition, everything changed. The Future Resilience and Development Foundation didn't just provide therapeutic food to treat her daughter. They gave Bilkisu a voucher card worth 45,000 Naira each month.

"Now, with that amount of money coming to us every month, our meals have improved," Bilkisu explained. "Our children now go to school."

Her story isn't unique in northeast Nigeria, where 5.8 million people face severe food insecurity due to decades of conflict and climate shocks. In Borno alone, 15,000 people are projected to face catastrophic hunger this year.

The FRAD Foundation's Multipurpose Cash Transfer Programme is changing that reality one family at a time. Since August 2025, they've reached 100 families across Mafa and Konduga, screening children aged 6 to 59 months and directing them to treatment programs.

But here's what makes this approach different. While children receive Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food for severe cases, their mothers learn to make Tom Brown, a supplement for moderate malnutrition using locally available grains like millet, sorghum, and soya beans.

The program trains lead mothers in each community who then teach others. Every two weeks, caregivers receive 1.5 kg of Tom Brown in airtight containers, enough to sustain each child between visits.

The foundation partners with health workers and uses Nigeria's National Social Investment Programme payment system to deliver funds directly to families' accounts. They provide kitchen equipment to lead mothers and mobility devices like wheelchairs and white canes to caregivers with disabilities.

Hyelsinta Samaila Bwala, a nutrition officer with FRAD, emphasized their commitment to accessibility. "Based on a caregiver's needs and their children, they are made to choose either a wheelchair, a white cane, or a stick for support."

The program faces challenges, including initial banking access issues and security concerns in conflict-affected areas. But joint supervision every two months with state and local government helps address gaps quickly.

The Ripple Effect

The impact extends beyond individual children's health. When families receive consistent financial support, mothers can afford not just food but school fees. Children who once spent their days hungry now attend classes and help their families with small businesses after school.

The foundation plans to expand to five more local government areas across Borno State, including Damasak, Bama, and Gwoza. Each expansion means more families like Bilkisu's will have the resources to break the cycle of malnutrition and poverty together.

In a region where hunger threatens thousands, this combination of immediate medical treatment, nutrition education, and financial support is proving that sustainable solutions require addressing the whole family's needs.