I came across this report and it's not a good look for Naija. Hope it's not overblown like most Western reports.
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=72720

KANO, 13 June 2007 (IRIN) - Emergency feeding centres for malnourished children in Niger, the poorest country in the world, are drawing a growing numbers of mothers with malnourished children from oil-rich Nigeria who cross the border in search of medical help not available at home.

“In Nigeria, the government health infrastructure has completely collapsed in rural areas,” said Ben Foot, Nigeria programme manager for Save the Children. “Even when there are drugs and equipment available people have to pay and they can’t afford them.”

At least 10 percent of children being treated in some of Save the Children’s feeding centres in southern Niger’s Maradi Region, across the border from northern Nigeria, are Nigerian. Other aid agencies in Niger said that close to the Niger-Nigeria border up to 90 percent of children being given nutritional supplements, vaccinations and free healthcare come from Nigeria.

Northern Nigeria and neighbouring Niger share the same semi-arid climate and reliance on rain-fed subsistence agriculture.

Nationally in Nigeria 29 percent of children are considered underweight, according to statistics drawn up by the UN children’s agency (UNICEF). Many other key indicators which contribute to malnutrition are worse in Nigeria than Niger as well as many other countries in the Sahel (see fact box).

The north of Nigeria reportedly has at least twice the level of malnutrition and child mortality than Nigeria’s south.
Nutrition in Nigeria
Percent of children with low birthweight (1998-2005) - 14%
Exclusively breastfed infants - 17%
Population using improved drinking water sources (2004) - 48%
One year-old children vaccinated against measles - 35%
Children under five with suspected pneumonia - 10%
Under fives sleeping under a treated mosquito net - 1%
Percent of population using adequate sanitation facilities - 44%
Source: UNICEF State of the World's Children, 2007

But across the border in Niger, a flood of donor funds for nutrition projects has led to a rapid improvement in children’s health following major publicity for a nutritional crisis in 2005.

In some parts of Maradi Region, Niger, death rates among children under five have been reduced to the same levels as in the US because of micronutrient supplements, the education of women on breast feeding, improved access to clean water and large numbers of donor-funded NGOs.

Nigeria’s chief nutritionalist at the ministry of health in Kano State, Saratu Abdullah, claimed there was absolutely no malnutrition in Nigeria. “We don’t have malnourished children in this country,” she said.

The government has not conducted a reliable nutritional survey since 2003. Save the Children’s Foot said that the few other surveys that have been done in the region are “unreliable and pushing someone’s agenda”.

“The situation is clearly appalling but there’s no hard data yet,” Foot said.

Aid agencies have recorded Nigerians needing nutritional assistance in Niger since at least 2005, when Medecins sans Frontieres briefly set up a feeding centre in northern Nigeria’s Katsina state to try to curb the flow of malnourished Nigerian children into Niger and to respond to a high level of malnutrition in Nigeria that year resulting from a measles epidemic.

But since then there have been few international NGO operating in northern Nigeria.

“Because of its oil riches people think Nigeria should be able to look after itself. But the government has been ripping the country off for the last 20 years, stripping resources and only taking care of its elite,” Foot, from Save the Children, said.

Aid agency officials in Niger have said privately that they are concerned about making the issue of Nigerians coming to Niger public as it could prompt the Nigerian government to close the border or the authorities in Niger to scale down nutrition-related projects.

For Foot it is nonetheless better to acknowledge that there are problems in Nigeria. “The drift of malnourished Nigerians into Niger could be an indication of how many more Nigerians are barely surviving,” he said.

nr/dh

Theme(s): (IRIN) Children, (IRIN) Early Warning, (IRIN) Economy, (IRIN) Food Security, (IRIN) Governance, (IRIN) Health & Nutrition, (IRIN) Migration

[ENDS]

[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations][/i]

BlackMamba:

Nigeria’s chief nutritionalist at the ministry of health in Kano State, Saratu Abdullah, claimed there was absolutely no malnutrition in Nigeria. “We don’t have malnourished children in this country,” she said.

In decent countries mada Saratu would have lost her job. Is anyone really surprised? Northern Nigeria is really a part of Niger but for the meddling of Lord Lugard, let them go back there and leave us alone.

even if they were giving away free food in cameroon or benin, you'd find some nigerians going there for it. doesnt mean the whole country is starving. or even the whole north

@Topic

Like the CNN Jeff koinange saga, this one was staged managed too!   Let us hear Obong's theories for this one now! SAN Obong! Over to you oh!

So there are like 2 million citizens of Niger begging on the streets of Nigeria, yet they feed our poor?

From what I gather from this Koinangish story, it seems to be that Nigerienne beggars in the North heard that they could now get free food in their own country, they decided to go back.

Come to think of it, this could be the strategy the Nigerian government should even employ in ridding us of those beggars. The Nigerian government should start serving free food in Niger so that all those millions of beggars will go back to their country to eat.

And why does this Niger keep coming back to collect millions of dollars of aid from Nigeria just to cook food for us? Them be our wife?

Next thing Ghana sef go beg us for $1 billion and then import free Kenke to Nigeria. Anyway I no run. In fact I admit. I was one of those that went to eat in Niger. I heard their cuisine is super; a chip of their colonial master.

denex:

So there are like 2 million citizens of Niger begging on the streets of Nigeria, yet they feed our poor?

From what I gather from this Koinangish story, it seems to be that Nigerienne beggars in the North heard that they could now get free food in their own country, they decided to go back.

Come to think of it, this could be the strategy the Nigerian government should even employ in ridding us of those beggars. The Nigerian government should start serving free food in Niger so that all those millions of beggars will go back to their country to eat.

And why does this Niger keep coming back to collect millions of dollars of aid from Nigeria just to cook food for us? Them be our wife?

Next thing Ghana sef go beg us for $1 billion and then import free Kenke to Nigeria. Anyway I no run. In fact I admit. I was one of those that went to eat in Niger. I heard their cuisine is super; a chip of their colonial master.

For ONCE i agree with you.

denex:

From what I gather from this Koinangish story, it seems to be that Nigerienne beggars in the North heard that they could now get free food in their own country, they decided to go back.

Some of them would be people from Niger but I am sure there are Nigerians there too. The centres offer food nutritional supplements, vaccinations and  healthcare, all for free.What makes you think Nigerians,close to the border with Niger,won't want to take advantage of all these free services? 

The largest ethnic group in Niger Republic is the Hausa.If there are centres in Niger offering food,healthcare,vaccinations,e.t.c for free,its hard to see why people find it difficult to believe that Nigerian Hausas,living near Niger, might want to take advantage too .

davidylan:

In decent countries mada Saratu would have lost her job. Is anyone really surprised? Northern Nigeria is really a part of Niger but for the meddling of Lord Lugard, let them go back there and leave us alone.

Does this madam saratu live in Nigeria let alone northern Nigeria
How can an elected or appointed official be so dishonest?
Does she want to tell us that those somali-like kids in northern Nigeria are just "slim" by nature?