The nutrition of schoolgirls in Northern Nigeria.

The territory of Nigeria (Fig. I) is about four times the size of Britain and is composed of two large areas of pre-Cambrian granite separated by marine sediments in the Niger and Benue valleys. It is inhabited by many races that differ considerably in their social customs and reaction to western civilization. In the south, the eastern and western regions include the Ibo and Yoruba peoples, many of whom are eager for the education of their children; Moslem rulers in Northern Nigeria are anxious that their people should compete on an equal footing with southerners and are now encouraging a rapid expansion of schools; but there is as yet but little demand for women’s education by northern races, and the number of girls going to school is relatively small. The object of the present inquiry was to determine the nutriture (state of nutrition) of these northern schoolgirls and to make any necessary recommendations for their well-being.