The latest data from the Strengthening African Processors of Fortified Foods Project (SAPFF) shows that Nigeria’s progress in the fortification of staple foods has been slowed by the COVID-19 pandemic-related supply chain and logistical issues. The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war threatens to slow it even further, Nationnewslead reports
Nigeria recently got its latest annual scorecard on stakeholders’ efforts to fortify the staple foods consumed in the country with micronutrients. The report was presented last Thursday by TechnoServe – an international non-governmental organisation that leads the Strengthening African Processors of Fortified Foods Project (SAPFF). It showed a mixed bag of considerable progress in some areas and retrogression in others in 2021.
The occasion was the fourth Annual Nigerian Food Processors and Nutrition Leadership Forum chaired by the Chairman of Aliko Dangote Foundation, Aliko Dangote, with the co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, participating by video conference. Fortification is the process of adding key vitamins and minerals that are essential for good health to staple foods like edible oil, wheat flour, semolina, maize flours and sugar. By law in Nigeria, these five foods must be fortified with vitamin A. Food fortification has been widely identified as a cost-effective strategy for addressing micronutrient malnutrition at scale. It seeks to check conditions such as under-nutrition, which can lead to lifelong consequences, increasing the risk of impaired physical and cognitive development, and diminished productive capacity.
During the last four years, the forum has experienced increased engagement by the Federal Government and CEOs of Nigeria’s largest food processing companies, resulting in years of steady progress. At its third meeting in 2020, SAPFF disclosed that no fewer than 125.7 million Nigerians had gained access to sugar fortified with vitamins. In percentage terms, the number jumped from 31 per cent of Nigerians to 96 per cent between 2017 and 2020.
The data presented at the forum demonstrated sustained fortification compliance for some key micronutrients and a decline for others, largely due to supply chain issues caused by the pandemic. COVID-19-related supply chain and logistical issues, in particular, have disrupted companies’ ability to secure essential fortification materials, most notably vitamin A. TechnoServe’s data showed that, in 2021, overall progress improved, despite some setbacks. The data showed compliance levels for salt fortified with iodine were sustained at more than 90 per cent. Compliance levels for edible oil fortified with vitamin A increased from 25 per cent in 2018, 33 per cent in 2020 and further improved to 49 per cent by the end of 2021.
However, for wheat flour fortified with vitamin A, vitamin B3, and iron, compliance levels increased from 56 per cent in 2018 to 64 per cent in 2021, which is a drop from the 93 per cent recorded in 2020; while compliance levels for sugar fortified with vitamin A decreased from 31 per cent in 2018 to 26 per cent in 2021, which is a drop from the 94 per cent recorded in 2020. According to the forum, the dramatic progress before the pandemic indicates the strong potential of Nigerian companies for fortification practices that can improve nutrition on a large scale. Together, the producers represented at the forum reach more than 90 per cent of the Nigerian market for salt, wheat flour, and sugar.
“The private sector remains the engine of growth for the Nigerian economy. By creating a common set of compliance standards, while also giving companies the tools they need to effectively fortify their foods, we are creating a sustainable path to delivering Nigerians food that will help them live healthier, more productive lives. Better nutrition for our consumers means better health and economic development for our nation,” Dangote said.
Gates affirmed the forum’s commitment to press on, despite the obstacles caused by the pandemic. “Large-scale food fortification is one of the most effective tools to ensure people get the vitamins and minerals they need to thrive. As we look to support an equitable recovery from the pandemic, countries and communities will need to deploy proven solutions to promote cognitive development, school performance, productivity, and earning potential. Partners in the public and private sectors must work together to accelerate progress on fortification in the year ahead to realise the individual and collective benefits to health and development,” he said.
Why food fortification is essential to public health
Worldwide, more than two billion people suffer from micronutrient malnutrition deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals that are integral to healthy growth and development. Fortifying staple foods such as oil, flour, salt, and sugar with vitamins and minerals has been proven to be one of the most cost-effective and scalable tools to combat malnutrition and save lives. One out of three Nigerian children under five is stunted, meaning their body and brains are deprived of the key nutrients they need to fully develop and reach their full potential. Over the long term, stunting results in a 10 per cent to 17 per cent loss of wages.
When multiplied across the nation, it is estimated that Nigeria loses more than $1.5 billion in GDP annually as a result of diminished productivity and increased health care costs. A systematic review and meta-analysis of 50 studies found that large-scale fortification programmes in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) have achieved a 34 per cent reduction in anaemia from improved iron stores. It has also achieved a 74 per cent reduction in goitre and a significant reduction in iodine deficiency, as well as a 41 per cent decrease in neural tube defects due to reductions of foliate deficiency among women of reproductive age.
The results of Nigeria’s first-ever micronutrient fortification index (MFI) were also shared at the event. The MFI is a locally-led, industry-owned initiative to generate data and publicly share company rankings according to their progress fortifying branded products with essential vitamins and minerals.
The 2022 CEO forum marks the inaugural presentation of participating companies that have served as industry pioneers and made significant strides towards institutionalising food fortification practices and commitments. To date, 14 companies representing 31 brands have joined the MFI, further demonstrating a collective industry resolve to implement strategies aimed at pursuing and sustaining fortification excellence.
TechnoServe President and CEO, William Warshauer, said: “The companies on the MFI are leading the charge for a better, more nutritious future for Nigeria. They recognise the business value of making products that deliver great quality and nutrition to millions of consumers, as well as the social value of helping Nigeria’s next generations grow up strong and healthy.”
A key partner in the food fortification programme is the Federal Government through the ministries of health, trade and commerce, finance, among others. Health Minister, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, said: “The Federal Ministry of Health remains committed to fighting malnutrition and we seek to accomplish this by providing an enabling environment for all partnership.”
Participants at the event included the ministers of Industry, Trade and Investment, Budget, Finance and National Planning, represented by the permanent secretary, Mrs. Olusola Idowu, and the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, among other leaders. The forum also had in attendance other business leaders in the food processing sector, including the representative of the Vegetable and Edible Oil Producers Association of Nigeria (VEOPAN), Okey Ikoro, among others.
How the Russia-Ukraine war can cause food crisis
The forum noted the impending consequence of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Nigeria’s food fortification goal and suggested ways the country can minimise damage. Dangote, who said the effects of the crisis were already being felt in the food processing chain, urged Nigerians to prepare for an impending food crisis within the next two to three months. He further advised the government to stop the export of maize. “There will be a shortage of wheat, maize and a lot of products because as we speak, Russia and Ukraine do almost 30 per cent of the world’s urea and 26 per cent of the world’s potash; and even phosphate also; they are one of the largest (producers) in the world.
“There would be a scarcity of food generally; we would not be able to access fertilisers going forward; we would not see the effects now, but in the next two, three months. Even the United States will not be able to do the same number of tonnage they did last year because of this. Right now, you start seeing people exporting maize to earn foreign exchange, which I think we need to stop so that we don’t create a shortage; and we need to make sure we grow more so we don’t have a shortage. It is about food security, and it is very, very serious,” Dangote said.
He further advocated the removal of import duty to reduce producers’ cost of production. The CEO of Flour Mills of Nigeria, Boye Olusanya, shared similar views. He noted that both Russia and Ukraine are in the first and fifth positions globally, respectively, in the production of wheat, describing the volume of their production as almost one-third of global production. “Today, the prices of wheat have gone up. There is a lag that comes because of inventory control, but it is something that we need to sit down with the government to say – what measures can we put in place to alleviate what is coming. The impact is not just on wheat alone; Ukraine is one of the largest producers of maize, which will also have a significant impact on maize because it is an alternative to wheat,” Olusanya said.
He also spoke about what he described as “cross-border trafficking of maize,” saying more farmers will like to take advantage of the crisis. “The last impact is on fertilisers, and the impact is not just short term, because we’re not looking at a one-off thing. You’re looking at an impact on the production of over a year to 18 months. When you look at all that and what then happens in pricing, obviously, if we don’t manage this well, there will be significant volume compression, in terms of material that comes in and therefore the volume of food that is sold,” Olusanya said.
He further noted that the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on the global food situation would be compounded by the crisis. “Because of the impact of COVID-19, most people are looking at only one or two meals a day, and as part of efforts towards addressing that is the fortification of the foods with relevant nutrients so that whatever they take will have a significant impact on their health.” He urged the Nigerian government and other stakeholders to appraise the situation and address “what is coming down the road.” Continue Reading
