By Lamara Garba
Poor nutrition remains one of the greatest impediments to national development as it weakens cognitive ability, undermines educational attainment, reduces productivity and compromises the quality of human capital, Professor Hassana Sani Darma has declared.
Professor Darma made the assertion on Thursday, 9th July, 2026, while delivering the 61st Professorial Inaugural Lecture of Bayero University, Kano, at the CBN Centre of Excellence.
Presenting a lecture titled “Rejigging Cognitive, Behavioural and Coordination Functions: Nutrients Supplementation for Neurodivergent Disorders,” the renowned scholar maintained that nutrition is far more than a matter of physical wellbeing, describing it as the bedrock upon which brain development, learning, behaviour and human performance are built.
The former Vice Chancellor of Khadija University, Majia, Jigawa State, explained that nutrition is foundational to neurodevelopment because it influences brain structure, neurological function and overall human capacity from infancy through adulthood.
According to her, neurodivergent conditions are biologically influenced, with nutritional factors playing significant roles in both their development and management.
Professor Darma observed that poor nutrition remains prevalent in Nigeria, yet many of its consequences continue to receive little attention from families, schools and policymakers.
She noted that developmental disorders, learning difficulties and behavioural challenges are frequently attributed to poor parenting or ineffective schooling without adequate consideration of the biological and nutritional factors underlying such conditions.
“Behaviour issues and learning struggles might actually come from biochemical imbalances caused by missing key nutrients,” she said.
According to the professor, providing children with balanced and nutritious diets could substantially reduce many health challenges while improving classroom performance and learning outcomes.
She stressed that there is an inseparable nexus between nutrition and human functioning, noting that inadequate nutrition during the early years of life significantly limits children’s intellectual potential.
Professor Darma explained that children who are deprived of adequate nutrition during critical stages of growth often exhibit weaker thinking skills, poor memory, reduced concentration and diminished learning capacity.
Rather than overcoming these disadvantages before formal education begins, she said many continue to lag behind throughout their academic journey, thereby limiting their future opportunities and productivity.
She cited scientific evidence showing that poor nutrition does not merely accompany learning difficulties but actively contributes to poor cognitive development, behavioural disorders and impaired intellectual performance over time.
The inaugural lecturer further explained that human functioning results from the coordinated interaction of the central nervous system, peripheral nerves and the musculoskeletal system.
According to her, these biological systems operate as an integrated network responsible for thinking, behaviour, movement, coordination and adaptation to environmental demands.
She emphasised that the efficiency of these interconnected systems is significantly influenced by nutritional status, particularly during periods of rapid growth and development.
Professor Darma also drew attention to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), noting that the condition is often misunderstood and wrongly associated solely with poor parenting or ineffective schooling.
She explained that while hereditary factors contribute to ADHD, other influences include maternal smoking, alcohol or drug use during pregnancy, oxygen deprivation during childbirth, prenatal trauma, environmental pollution, allergies and inadequate nutrition.
The professor disclosed that many children diagnosed with ADHD possess one or more nutritional deficiencies which, when properly identified and corrected, can lead to remarkable improvements in attention span, concentration, self control and overall behaviour.
She further explained that blood glucose regulation plays an essential role in cognitive performance.
According to her, fluctuations in blood glucose levels directly affect attention, memory and the speed with which the brain processes information.
While low glucose levels reduce concentration and slow cognitive processing, excessive consumption of processed carbohydrates, highly processed foods and sugar sweetened carbonated drinks may result in metabolic disturbances and brain inflammation capable of impairing cognitive functions.
Professor Darma observed that the increasing preference for processed foods, packaged snacks and soft drinks, which are often regarded as symbols of affluence, convenience or modern living, is contributing to poor nutritional outcomes.
She cautioned that these products are typically rich in refined sugars, unhealthy fats and artificial additives but deficient in the essential nutrients required for healthy brain development, learning and behaviour.
According to her, replacing wholesome foods with processed meals and sugary beverages may gradually weaken cognitive performance, reduce attention span, impair memory and increase the risk of nutritional deficiencies, particularly among children and adolescents.
Professor Darma therefore advocated healthy and balanced diets rich in essential nutrients as indispensable tools for improving educational achievement, mental health and human productivity.
She argued that educational reforms would achieve only limited success if nutrition is neglected, urging governments and educational institutions to integrate nutritional support into learning programmes.
According to her, nutrition should be recognised as a strategic investment in human capital development because healthier children become more productive adults capable of contributing meaningfully to national growth.
She further called on policymakers, healthcare professionals, educators and development partners to place nutrition at the centre of educational planning, clinical practice and public health interventions.
Professor Darma maintained that sustainable national development depends on raising a generation of physically healthy, mentally alert and intellectually productive citizens, a goal that can only be achieved through improved nutrition.
Representing the Vice Chancellor, Professor Haruna Musa, fsi, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research and Development, Professor Amina Mustapha, said Bayero University places a high premium on research, innovation and academic scholarship.
She noted that professorial inauguralA lectures remain one of the University’s important academic traditions through which scholars share research findings capable of addressing contemporary societal challenges.
Professor Mustapha commended Professor Darma for presenting a lecture that highlighted the vital relationship between nutrition, education, health and national development. She said the lecture demonstrated that improving nutrition is not merely a health intervention but a national development strategy capable of strengthening educational outcomes, enhancing workforce productivity and improving the quality of life of citizens.
She expressed optimism that the recommendations would stimulate further research, influence public policy and encourage governments, educational institutions and development partners to invest more deliberately in nutrition as a foundation for sustainable national development.
The lecture attracted principal officers of the University, members of the academic community, health professionals, researchers, students and other distinguished guests who described the presentation as timely, enlightening and highly relevant to Nigeria’s quest for sustainable human capital development.
