World Bank Flags Nigeria Child Development Crisis, Urges Urgent Action
Chukwu Obinna 
ABUJA, Nigeria – The World Bank warns that Nigeria faces a deepening early childhood development crisis, citing alarming rates of child mortality, stunting, and developmental delays.
Presenting the April Nigeria Development Update in Abuja, Country Director Matthew Verghis says 110 out of every 1,000 Nigerian children die before age five, while nearly 40 per cent are stunted and 52 per cent are not developmentally on track before starting school.
“These figures should be treated as a crisis for a country with Nigeria’s aspirations,” Verghis says.
The report, titled “Nigeria’s Tomorrow Must Start Today: The Case for Early Childhood Development,” links the poor outcomes to limited access to maternal healthcare, clean water, adequate nutrition, and sanitation—conditions that disproportionately affect poorer households, especially in northern regions.
Verghis stresses that the period from pregnancy to age five is critical, noting that investments in early childhood development can yield annual returns of seven to 13 per cent through improved education, higher earnings, and reduced healthcare costs.
The World Bank says it is working with the National Economic Council, state governments, and partners including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to design a national intervention programme.
On the economic outlook, Lead Economist Fiseha Haile projects moderate growth of 4.2 per cent between 2026 and 2028, driven by reforms and macroeconomic stabilisation.
However, he warns that inflation and global uncertainties—particularly tensions in the Middle East—continue to threaten household purchasing power.
Haile urges fiscal discipline, subsidy reforms, and increased competition in the fuel sector to reduce production costs and stabilise the economy.
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