Nigeria’s nutrition workforce gets career makeover as new academy targets skills gap
A new professional development initiative is seeking to address the shortage of nutrition professionals equipped with practical workplace and consulting skills.
A new professional development initiative is seeking to address the shortage of nutrition professionals equipped with practical workplace and consulting skills.
YourDietBoy Ltd., through its professional development arm, CWR Academy, will on August 15 host the maiden edition of Consulting With Results Experience 1.0 in Ikeja, Lagos, bringing together more than 300 nutrition students, interns, dietitians and early-career professionals from across the country.
The event will also serve as the official launch of ‘Consulting With Results’, a new book designed to help nutrition professionals bridge the gap between academic knowledge and the realities of professional practice.
The initiative comes at a time when Nigeria is battling multiple nutrition challenges. While universities continue to produce nutrition graduates, many young professionals struggle to translate technical knowledge into sustainable careers, consulting opportunities, leadership roles and entrepreneurship within the healthcare ecosystem.
This disconnect has limited the sector’s ability to fully respond to growing public health demands, even as food insecurity and poor dietary outcomes continue to rise.
Organisers say the programme is designed to prepare participants with practical competencies that are rarely emphasised in formal education, including consulting, leadership, communication, entrepreneurship, career development and personal branding.
According to Fiyinfoluwa Odukoya, founder of YourDietBoy Ltd. and convener of Consulting With Results Experience 1.0, the programme was created after recognising that many nutrition professionals enter the workforce without the practical tools needed to build successful careers.
“Nutrition professionals are trained to improve lives, yet many begin their careers without the practical tools needed to build sustainable careers, create opportunities, communicate their value or lead with confidence. Consulting With Results was written to help bridge that gap,” Odukoya said.
He described the initiative as more than a conventional professional gathering or book launch.
“This is more than a book launch or another professional event. It is an investment in the future of our profession. We want attendees to leave with practical knowledge, meaningful professional relationships and the confidence to create measurable impact wherever they serve,” he said.
According to him, strengthening the professional capacity of nutrition practitioners ultimately benefits the wider healthcare system.
“When nutrition professionals are equipped to lead, communicate effectively and solve real problems, the benefits extend beyond individual careers to healthier communities and a stronger healthcare system. That is the vision driving ‘Consulting With Results’,” he added.
The one-day programme will feature career masterclasses, fireside conversations, networking sessions and the unveiling of the book, with organisers positioning it as the first edition of what they hope will become an annual national platform for professional development in nutrition.
The initiative reflects a broader shift across healthcare professions, where employers increasingly value soft skills, leadership, business knowledge and communication alongside technical expertise. Similar capacity-building programmes have gained momentum globally as healthcare professionals diversify into consulting, digital health, public policy, corporate wellness and entrepreneurship.
For Nigeria, where nutrition interventions are becoming increasingly important in tackling child stunting, obesity, diabetes and other non-communicable diseases, improving the readiness of nutrition professionals could strengthen both preventive healthcare and community-based health programmes.
YourDietBoy Ltd. said through CWR Academy it intends to continue investing in education, leadership development and capacity building for nutrition professionals, with the long-term goal of raising practice standards and improving health outcomes nationwide.
