The Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN) has called for increased investment in nutrition, saying improved access to nutritious food is critical to strengthening Nigeria’s workforce, productivity and economic development
The call was made at the 56th Annual Scientific Conference and Annual General Meeting of the society in Lagos, themed, “Delivering Better Nutrition for All: Connecting the Dots Across Life Cycle, Systems and Sectors”
The conference brought together government officials, nutrition professionals, researchers, development partners and private-sector stakeholders to examine ways of tackling malnutrition and strengthening Nigeria’s food and nutrition systems
Chairman of the NSN Board of Trustees, His Highness Muhammadu Sanusi II, said nutrition should be treated as an investment in human capital rather than a peripheral programme
“Nutrition is about human capital It is about productivity, cognitive development, maternal survival and national resilience,”
He said a poorly nourished child would struggle to learn, while a poorly nourished workforce would not deliver the productivity required for Nigeria’s economic transformation
Sanusi called for greater private-sector involvement in food fortification, affordability and responsible marketing, while urging stakeholders to move from short-term interventions to sustained investment
He also called for stronger financing and accountability in the nutrition sector, urging government and other stakeholders to ensure that commitments made on nutrition translate into actual programmes and services He said Nigeria needed to move from fragmented interventions to coordinated systems that could deliver sustainable results.
Sanusi identified local food systems, maternal and child nutrition, adolescent nutrition, food fortification and the regulation of the nutrition profession among areas requiring greater attention According to him, investments in these areas would help make nutritious diets more accessible while strengthening the human capital needed for Nigeria’s economic growth.
The President of the NSN, Prof Salisu Abubakar, said Nigeria’s nutrition situation required stronger connections between food systems, healthcare, education, social protection and the private sector.
“Nutrition problems are interconnected, and our solutions must carry the same intelligence,” Abubakar said
He said businesses could contribute through food fortification, workforce nutrition programmes, innovation and investment in local food systems
Abubakar said the latest nutrition evidence showed that 411 per cent of Nigerian children under five were stunted, with the figure rising to 58.2 per cent in the North-West.
He said the figures reinforced the need for coordinated action across the food and nutrition value chain, adding that Nigeria needed to transform the systems that contribute to malnutrition
Representing Vice President Kashim Shettima, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Health and Focal Person on Nutrition, Mrs Uju Rochas-Anwukah, said the private sector had an important role to play in improving nutrition outcomes
She said nutrition could not be left to the health sector alone, as agriculture, education, water and sanitation, social protection and businesses all influence what Nigerians eat and their access to nutritious diets
“Good intentions do not feed a child Budgets must be released on time, expenditures tracked, and every naira judged by measurable community impact,” Rochas-Anwukah said.
She urged stakeholders to work with shared objectives, data and accountability, noting that farmers, investors, health workers and local government authorities all form part of the nutrition chain
The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, also stressed the importance of collaboration between regulators, nutrition professionals, academia, industry and policymakers.
In her goodwill message to the conference, Adeyeye said NAFDAC remained committed to ensuring Nigerians had access to safe, nutritious and properly labelled food
She highlighted the agency’s “Read the Food Label” campaign, describing it as an example of collaboration between NAFDAC and the NSN to improve consumer awareness
Adeyeye said the agency would continue to strengthen food safety, consumer protection, regulation and public awareness
The speakers also highlighted opportunities for investment in food fortification, biofortification, maternal and infant nutrition, adolescent nutrition and innovations in clinical nutrition
Sanusi said Nigeria must connect evidence to policy, financing to implementation and implementation to the lives of Nigerians, stressing that better nutrition was necessary for a productive population
The conference therefore called for stronger partnerships between government and businesses to make nutritious diets more affordable and accessible, while ensuring that investments in the sector produce measurable benefits for households and communities