The Standards Organisation of Nigeria, in partnership with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, has launched a two-day training programme for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises across the North-East on Large Scale Food Fortification, aimed at addressing the growing challenge of malnutrition in Nigeria.
- +SON partners GAIN to tackle malnutrition challenges
Speaking at the opening of the workshop in Gombe, the Director of SON North-East Region, Yakzum Danlami, said the initiative became necessary following concerns over the rising level of malnutrition in the country.
Speaking at the opening of the workshop in Gombe, the Director of SON North-East Region, Yakzum Danlami, said the initiative became necessary following concerns over the rising level of malnutrition in the country.
According to him, the workshop is targeted mainly at small-scale manufacturers involved in the production of edible oils, spices, and grains consumed by low-income households.
“This workshop is about food fortification for manufacturers, mostly SMEs in the North-East, because we have noticed that the level of malnutrition is quite high,” he said.
Danlami explained that the sensitisation programme had already been conducted in other geopolitical zones before reaching the North-East.
“We have gathered SMEs from across the North-East for this two-day workshop to teach them how fortification should be done and why it is important to add essential nutrients to food products in order to reduce malnutrition in the country,” he maintained.
Danlami identified edible oils, spices, and grains as the major focus of the training because they are widely consumed by vulnerable and low-income populations.
“Most of the participants are into oil milling, spices, and grains. These are products easily accessible to poor households, which is why they are very important in the fight against malnutrition,” he added.
The SON director noted further that the programme was being implemented in collaboration with GAIN and supported by other government agencies responsible for monitoring compliance.
“It is a partnership with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition and other government agencies. After this sensitisation, agencies like NAFDAC will monitor compliance by going to markets and laboratories to test products,” he stressed.
Danlami, however, warned manufacturers against false claims on food labels, stressing that regulatory agencies would sanction any company caught to be misrepresenting fortified products.
“We have always told manufacturers to properly label their products. If a product is fortified with Vitamin A or Vitamin D, it should be clearly indicated on the packaging. If tests show otherwise, the agency will clamp down on such products,” he warned.
On expectations from the programme, Danlami expressed optimism that the training would improve compliance and strengthen food fortification practices among SMEs in the region.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Gombe State Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism, Adamu Kala, described food fortification as a critical public health and economic strategy.
“Food fortification is not just a technical exercise. It is a public health intervention, an industry policy tool, and a trade competitiveness strategy all at once,” he said.
Kala emphasised that the ministry and SON share a strong working relationship in promoting industrial growth, standards, and market access.
“The ministry provides policy direction for industrial growth and trade facilitation, while SON provides the technical backbone through standards, testing, and quality assurance,” he explained.
He pointed out that food fortification remains one of the most cost-effective ways of combating micronutrient deficiencies globally.
“Through the addition of essential vitamins and minerals to commonly consumed foods, we can reduce malnutrition, improve child and maternal health, enhance productivity and save lives,” he posited.
The Gombe permanent secretary commended Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya for promoting industrialisation through the establishment of the Muhammadu Buhari Industrial Park in Gombe State.
He urged participants to maximise the opportunity provided by the training, urging, “The knowledge and skills gained here will strengthen individual capacities and contribute significantly to national efforts aimed at improving food quality and nutrition outcomes.”
Meanwhile, the Secretary General of the National Food and Nutrition Media Team of Nigeria, Salem-Akindele Rock, lamposted the need for stronger media involvement in addressing nutrition challenges in the country.
“Our mission is to ensure adequate media coverage of nutrition issues in Nigeria and to bridge the gap between government policies and the people,” he said.
However, Rock, while lamenting Nigeria’s poor nutrition indices, described the situation as alarming.
“To say the truth, Nigeria is nowhere when it comes to nutrition. In Africa, we are among the worst, and globally, we are ranked second when it comes to malnutrition,” he disclosed.
According to him, poor public awareness and weak communication of government nutrition policies have contributed significantly to the crisis.
“The media is the watchdog of society. Until the media becomes fully integrated into nutrition issues, Nigeria may even move from number two to number one in malnutrition rankings,” he warned.
