Adequate nutrition is essential for physical and cognitive development, improved health outcomes, and enhanced overall individual productivity, all of which contribute to broader macroeconomic and societal growth. However, malnutrition remains a pressing challenge, particularly in low- and medium-income countries, including Nigeria. Recent findings from the National Food Consumption and Micronutrient Survey reveal multiple forms of malnutrition, including micronutrient deficiencies. To address these gaps, Workforce Nutrition Programmes (WFN) and Large-Scale Food Fortification (LSFF) initiatives, such as rice fortification, have emerged as synergistic, transformative solutions.
In preparation for the 2025 Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit, GAIN, in collaboration with the Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria, hosted a Stakeholder Nutrition Dialogue on ‘Workforce Nutrition and Large-Scale Food Fortification: A Synergistic Approach to Combating Malnutrition in Nigeria.’ The dialogue brought together 92 stakeholders from diverse sectors, including leading private sectors, farmers’ groups, food producers and retailers, banks, government/regulatory agencies, premix suppliers, academia, development partners, civil society, and consumers.
The discussions highlighted the need for a clear, standardised definition of a healthy meal to guide workplace nutrition initiatives effectively. Additionally, there was a strong call for the development and enforcement of robust policies, systems, and programmes to implement WFN across all sectors.
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