Management of Child Nutrition Programmes in Non-Governmental Organisations Operating in Conflict-Affected Communities in Borno State

Non-governmental organisations play a pivotal role in delivering child nutrition interventions in humanitarian settings, yet programme management quality and coordination challenges affect coverage and outcomes. This study examined the management of child nutrition programmes in NGOs operating in conflict-affected communities in Borno State, North East Nigeria. A qualitative and quantitative mixed-methods design was employed, combining structured questionnaires administered to 80 programme staff with key informant interviews with 15 programme managers. Data were analysed using thematic analysis for qualitative data and descriptive statistics for quantitative results. Findings revealed that while NGO nutrition programmes had broad coverage across displaced person settlements, coordination gaps between implementing organisations led to duplication in some localities and gaps in others. Programme management challenges included staff turnover, insufficient local capacity, delayed supply chains for nutritional commodities, and inadequate monitoring and evaluation systems. Programmes with dedicated nutrition technical advisors demonstrated stronger implementation quality. The study recommends the establishment of a state-level nutrition cluster coordination mechanism, investment in local nutrition staff capacity building, and adoption of standardised monitoring frameworks for child nutrition programming in humanitarian settings. Keywords: child nutrition management, NGO, conflict-affected, Borno State, humanitarian nutrition