• Limited progress was made in health expenditure as a percentage of GDP (2.6% to 3.6%) between 2008 and 2018.* However, nutrition was recently prioritized through several state-level initiatives and investments by development partners.
  

Official development assistance increased from US$1.3 billion in 2008 to $US3.3 billion in 2018.

• Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health Project (2014)
• National Strategic Health Development Plan (2010-2015)

• Data quality improved from 2008 to 2018. The District Health Information System (DHIS2) is now functional. State-level scorecards and indicators will help track nutritional indicators over the next decade.
  

Persistent challenges remain with the collection and quality of dietary and nutrition-specific data.

• Food insecurity in Nigeria remains comparable to western Africa, but more improvements are needed.
  

Gaps in stunting burdens across wealth quintiles remain wide and increased between urban and rural residence over the ten-year period.

• National Program for Food Security (2003-2007)
• Second National Fadama Development Project (2004-2009)
• MDGs Conditional Grant Scheme (2007)
• Third National Fadama Project (2008-2019)
• Agriculture Transformation Agenda (2013-2015)

• Proportion of women with secondary or higher education increased from 10.2% in 2008 to 15.6% in 2018.* However, women have fewer median years of schooling than men (3.6 years for women vs. 5.4 years for men).*

• African Girls' Education Initiative (2001-2003)
• Federal Universal Basic Education Act (2004)
• Girls' Education Project Phase 3 (GEP3) Cash Transfer Programme (CTP) (2014-2016; Niger and Sokoto)

• Slight improvements were made regarding women’s participation in decision-making (32.1% in 2008 vs. 33.5% in 2018).* However, absolute participation in key domains, including health care, is low and Nigeria ranks poorly on global gender indices (e.g., Nigeria ranked 128 out of 153 countries on the 2020 Global Gender Gap and had a 2019 Gender Development Index of 0.88, ranking 123rd of 191 countries).

• SURE-P: Community Services Women and Youth Employment (2012)
• Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (2016)

• Access to water and sanitation increased slightly during the study period, but rates of open defecation remained high in some regions.

Prevalence of child diarrhea increased slightly from 10.7% in 2008 to 12.7% in 2018.*

Significant progress has been made surrounding the use of mosquito nets.

• Nigeria National WASH Water Sector Reform Project (2004-2013; Kano, Kaduna, and Ogun)
• Third National Urban Water Sector Reform Project (2014-2020; Rivers, Plateau, Ondo, Kano, Benue, Bauchi, Abia, Jigawa, Bayelsa, Ekiti, Gombe, and Anambra)
• Partnership for Expanded WASH Program (2016-2030)

• Age at first birth remained largely unchanged (20), and birth intervals remained short (<32 months)*
  

Information on family planning provided at health facilities increased over the study period; however usage of modern contraceptive methods among women remained unchanged at 10.5%.*

• Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI) Phase I (2009-2014; Abuja, Ibadan, Ilorin, and Kaduna, Benin City, Zaria)
• NURHI Phase 2 (2015-2020; Kaduna, Lagos and Oyo)

• Access to quality maternal and newborn health care improved from 2008 to 2018. Skilled birth attendance increased from 38.8% to 43.3%, delivery at a health facility increased from 35.0% to 39.4%, and antenatal care coverage (at least four visits) increased from 44.8% to 56.8%.*

Maternal underweight prevalence remained largely unchanged at 12%, but prevalence of overweight and obesity increased by approximately 6%.*

Coverage of malaria interventions increased substantially, with women receiving at least two doses of malaria treatment in pregnancy increasing from 6.5% to 40.4% and households with at least one insecticide-treated net increasing from 8.0% to 60.6%.*

• Roll Back Malaria Partnership (2001)
• Integrated Maternal, Newborn, and Child Strategy (2007-2015)
• Support to the National Malaria Programme (SuNMaP) (2008-2016; Anambra, Kano, Katsina, Lagos, Ogun, Niger)
• Saving One Million Lives Initiatives PforR Project (2015-2022)
• Midwife Service Scheme (2009)

• Rates of exclusive breastfeeding increased by 15.6 percentage points.* However, only about 29% of infants were exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life in 2018.*

The median duration of breastfeeding remained largely the same at 18 months.

• Abuja Breastfeeding Declaration (2016)

• Consumption of different food groups and minimum dietary diversity improved moderately.

Rates of vitamin A pplementation increased from 25.8% in 2008 to 45.3% in 2018.*

• Essential Childhood Medicines Scale-Up Plan (2012-2015)
• Zinc/ORS Scale-Up (2012-2017; Bauchi, Cross River, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Lagos, Niger, Rivers State)