USR PUBLISHER

Malnourishment remains a persistent public health and development challenge, particularly in low- and middle-income countries such as Nigeria, where structural inequalities continue to shape health outcomes. Nigeria faces a triple burden of undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and increasing diet-related non-communicable diseases. Recent studies increasingly recognizes that nutrition outcomes are not determined solely by food availability but by broader structural systems, particularly social protection policies such as cash transfers, school feeding programmes, maternal health subsidies, and food assistance schemes. This review synthesizes empirical and policy literature to critically examine the relationship between social protection and nutrition outcomes in Nigeria. This review paper examines the transition from malnutrition to holistic wellbeing through the lens of social protection, emphasizing its role in improving nutrition outcomes and reducing disease burden. Drawing on recent empirical and policy-based literature, the paper synthesizes evidence on nutrition-sensitive social protection interventions including cash transfers, school feeding programmes, maternal nutrition support, and community-based food systems. The review further interrogates how socioeconomic vulnerability, gender inequality, and food system instability influence wellness and illness trajectories. Three objectives guide this review, to examine the relationship between nutrition status and population wellness and illness patterns; to evaluate the effectiveness of social protection programmes in improving nutrition outcomes and identifies structural and policy gaps limiting nutrition-sensitive social protection in Nigeria. Findings suggest that while social protection programmes have demonstrated positive impacts on food security and dietary diversity, implementation challenges such as funding constraints, governance gaps, and inadequate targeting limit sustainability. The paper highlights the need for integrated nutrition-social protection frameworks grounded in social justice and community participation. The paper concludes that sustainable transition from malnutrition to wellbeing requires multisectoral, gender-transformative, and community-driven social protection systems embedded within broader food system reforms.