Nigeria, May 6 -- Once dubbed the "Giant of Africa," Nigeria is now staggering under the weight of its own contradictions-rich in resources, yet poor in resolve; abundant in promise, yet bankrupt in performance. Nowhere is this shameful irony more glaring than in the heartbreaking revelation by UNICEF that Nigeria holds the unenviable title of having the highest number of malnourished children in Africa and the second highest globally. For a country so bountiful in natural and human wealth, this is a badge of disgrace, not just for its leaders but for every institution that has looked the other way.

As it stands, 600,000 Nigerian children are battling acute malnutrition, and half of them teeter on the edge of severe acute malnutrition, w...