By Chioma Obinna
The Federal Government, food industry players, and nutrition stakeholders on Tuesday intensified efforts to achieve full compliance with Nigeria’s food fortification programme as part of a broader strategy to tackle the growing burden of hidden hunger and micronutrient deficiencies affecting millions across the country.
At the 2026 first Bi-Annual National Fortification Alliance (NFA) Technical Committee Meeting in Lagos, stakeholders said the push for between 70 and 100 per cent fortification compliance for staple foods such as flour, sugar, vegetable oil and salt has become critical to improving nutrition outcomes, reducing disease burden and boosting national productivity.
In her welcome address, the Director of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at NAFDAC, Mrs. Eva Edwards, said the agency warned that micronutrient deficiencies remain a silent but serious public health threat to millions of Nigerians.
Edwards said the agency and its partners were strengthening surveillance, market monitoring and industry collaboration to ensure Nigerians consume adequately fortified foods.
“The whole idea is to bring the food fortification ecosystem together to discuss progress, share challenges and find solutions. Ultimately, it is about reducing micronutrient deficiencies and building a healthier and more productive Nigeria,” Edwards said.
She explained that the National Fortification Alliance serves as a strategic public-private platform bringing together government agencies, manufacturers, development partners, civil society groups, academia and professional bodies to drive compliance and improve the quality of fortified foods.
According to her, Nigeria’s salt iodisation programme, introduced in 1993, remains one of the country’s most successful nutrition interventions, earning global recognition for meeting universal iodisation targets.
She said significant progress has also been made in fortifying flour, sugar and vegetable oil under the NAFDAC Food Fortification Regulations 2021.
Edwards urged Nigerians to pay closer attention to food labels and fortification logos when purchasing products. “The food label speaks to you. Nigerians must look out for the fortification logo and the NAFDAC registration number. These are indicators that the product has gone through regulatory checks and meets safety and nutrition standards,” she said.
Speaking, the Chairman of the National Fortification Alliance, (NFA), Mr. Fred Chiazo, said the alliance had become a model for food fortification coordination in West Africa, with Nigeria now chairing the ECOWAS food fortification programme.
He disclosed that the country is set to launch the first dedicated food fortification alliance website in Africa, a move expected to improve transparency, data sharing and stakeholder engagement.
“The Nigerian alliance is leading in Africa today. Other ECOWAS countries are looking up to us because of the structure and collaboration we have built over the last 20 years,” Chiazo said.
He added that the alliance’s bi-annual meetings allow industries to review compliance reports openly and improve product standards without punitive measures.
Also speaking, Director of Food and Drug Services at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Mrs. Olufobi Yusuf Adeola, said food fortification remains critical to improving dietary quality and reducing the health burden associated with nutrient deficiencies.
“When you fortify food, you improve its nutritional value. It is one of the most effective ways to improve diets and protect public health without placing additional costs on consumers,” Adeola said.
Also, the Policy and Advocacy Lead at the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Joyce Apata, said large-scale food fortification remains one of the most effective interventions for tackling malnutrition at scale.
According to her, GAIN has supported Nigeria’s fortification programme for nearly two decades through capacity building, laboratory strengthening, market surveillance and digital compliance systems.
She added that rice fortification is now being piloted as part of efforts to widen access to nutrient-rich staple foods.
