Local Food Fortification Offers Hope Against Malnutrition

As Nigeria grapples with high rates of malnutrition, attention is turning to small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) and local production as central to reversing the trend.

At a forthcoming Nutrition Roundtable convened by Nigeria Health Watch, stakeholders will explore how empowering local producers can transform the country’s food fortification landscape.

Despite decades of interventions, 32 per cent of Nigerian children under five remain stunted, while deficiencies in vitamin A, zinc, and iron continue to affect millions of women and children.

Experts argue that scaling up locally driven food fortification rather than relying heavily on imports may offer a more sustainable way forward.

“Investing in SMEs and strengthening compliance with fortification standards can help close existing nutrition gaps while building resilience within our food system,” said Vivianne Ihekweazu, Managing Director of Nigeria Health Watch.

Participants at the roundtable are expected to examine opportunities for boosting domestic premix production, creating financing models for SMEs, and tackling regulatory bottlenecks that prevent fortified foods from reaching more households.

Consumer education will also be high on the agenda, with calls to raise demand for fortified foods across communities.

By expanding local production capacity, Nigeria could significantly reduce dependence on imported inputs while ensuring that fortified foods remain affordable and accessible.

Advocates said this approach would not only tackle malnutrition but also create jobs and stimulate economic growth in the agriculture and food processing sectors.

The meeting’s outcomes are expected to inform actionable policies that link food fortification with economic empowerment, marking a shift from short-term interventions to long-term, homegrown solutions.