Africa faces a grave nutrition crisis, one that statistics alone cannot solve. In Nigeria, 40% of children under five are stunted, and over 17 million people are food insecure (UNICEF, 2023; FAO et al., 2023; DHI, 2023). Children are not just hungry; they are unprotected and invisible. With 47% of children living in income-poor households and 67% trapped in multidimensional poverty, the odds are stacked against them from birth. However, beyond the data, there is a crucial factor that we must urgently highlight: communication.
In addition to the availability and affordability of food, we cannot end malnutrition without addressing sensitization around behavioral changes, social norms, and misinformation related to food, health, and childcare. That’s where communication comes in, not as an afterthought, but as a strategic tool. Effective nutrition communication educates caregivers on what to feed their children and why. It helps communities understand the dangers of pap-only diets, promotes early initiation of breastfeeding, and combats cultural taboos that limit dietary diversity.
In Tanzania, a troubling shift is emerging: growing numbers of women feel afraid or ashamed to breastfeed in public. This stigma threatens progress in promoting optimal breastfeeding practices and, if unaddressed, could undermine efforts to improve maternal and child health across Africa. A 2025 study by Koray et al. examined exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) across 25 Sub-Saharan countries, identifying a complex mix of individual and community-level influences. EBF was highest in Burundi (83%) and Rwanda (79%), and lowest in Gabon (19%) and Guinea (25%). The study emphasized early antenatal care (ANC), media exposure, and community support as key enablers, recommending targeted interventions rooted in culturally sensitive health communication.
In Nigeria, some mothers still discard colostrum due to outdated beliefs or conflicting advice, sometimes from poorly informed health workers. Misinformation undermines decades of nutrition advocacy, and these myths persist because communication doesn’t reach those who need it most. Mozambique’s Cyclone Idai in 2019 revealed similar issues: with over 40 languages and low Portuguese fluency, aid messages failed to reach many. A stark reminder that without tailored communication, even well-planned responses can fall short.
So, what does effective communication look like? It means planning communication as a core part of any project, not an afterthought. It means working within the broader strategy and ensuring adequate resources are dedicated to communication efforts. It means speaking in the audience’s language, using trusted local channels like community radio or influencers, and addressing cultural beliefs sensitively. As Colle advises, every project must examine communication needs during planning, integrate them fully within the strategy, and allocate resources accordingly. This approach ensures messages reach the right people, in the right way, at the right time.
Strategic communication connects policies to people and translates nutrition science into action at the household level. As communicators, we must design with empathy, speak the language of the audience, and build consistent, evidence-based messages. If we want to change Nigeria’s alarming nutrition statistics, we must first change the conversation. Over 500 languages are spoken in Nigeria, so this risk is also there (Lewis et al., 2015).
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