The Nigerian Economic Summit Group, collaborated with eHealth Africa and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, on Thursday to propose a solution for boosting food fortification in Nigeria’s food sector in response to the rising number of cases of malnutrition and food poisoning-related illnesses and deaths in the country.
Vanguard reported that this happened when NESG hosted a webinar with the title “Impact of Food Fortification Compliance: A Case for Industrial Fortification”.
The country director for the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, Dr. Michael Ojo, explained in an opening statement that the third-party advocacy is a collaboration between the NESG, eHealth Africa, and CISLAC with technical support from GAIN, with the goal of promoting advocacy around the compliance with food fortification, identifying efforts, and developing practical recommendations that will support industrial fortification.
Furthermore, Dr. Ojo stated that despite having abundant agricultural resources, Nigeria struggles with micronutrient deficiencies, which have significant socioeconomic repercussions.
He did, however, point out that the government has taken policy steps to support the fortification of staple foods, and organisations like the Federal Competition & Consumer Protection Council, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, and the National Food Drug Administration and Control have been tasked with ensuring producer adherence to and oversight of fortification compliance.
During the panel discussion, the global program lead for food fortification at GAIN, Penjani Mkambula, said that over time, fortification has helped to lessen the burden of some diseases and medical conditions, such as goitre, which was lessened through the use of iodized salt.
Malnutrition, according to a health system development expert, Senator Dr. Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe, is a constant impediment to the nation’s development. Although people at the home level may be aware of malnutrition, they frequently find it difficult to connect it to issues with food or spirituality.
He made the point that socioeconomic factors such as the environment and people’s purchasing power, family dynamics, and culture may all have a big impact on or even encourage malnutrition.
