A coalition of public health advocates has urged the Nigerian government to rethink its food fortification strategy, warning against using ultra-processed foods as vehicles for delivering essential nutrients.
The coalition made the call on Wednesday in Abuja during a press briefing themed “Addressing the use of ultra-processed foods as vehicles for food fortification in Nigeria.”
The group argued that while food fortification remains a useful tool in tackling micronutrient deficiencies, its current application risks worsening Nigeria’s growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Food fortification
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), food fortification is the deliberate addition of essential micronutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, to food to improve its nutritional quality and deliver a public health benefit.
The global health body explains that fortification is primarily used to address micronutrient deficiencies, often described as “hidden hunger”, across populations.
By adding nutrients to commonly consumed foods such as salt, flour, rice, or oils, governments and health agencies can improve nutrient intake without requiring major changes in people’s eating habits.
The WHO notes that fortification can take different forms depending on the target group.
It may be applied broadly to the general population through mass fortification of staple foods, or targeted to specific groups such as children and pregnant women.
In some cases, nutrients are added at the point of consumption, such as through micronutrient powders used at home or in schools.
Importantly, the organisation emphasised that while fortification is a cost-effective and evidence-based intervention for improving nutrition, it must be carefully designed.
Policies should align with broader public health goals, including efforts to reduce diet-related non-communicable diseases, ensuring that improving nutrient intake does not inadvertently introduce new health risks.
Concerns over policy contradictions
Speaking at the briefing, Akinbode Oluwafemi, executive director of the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), said the coalition is not opposed to fortification but is concerned about policy inconsistencies.
Mr Oluwafemi noted that efforts to reduce sodium intake conflict with moves to fortify high-sodium, ultra-processed products such as seasonings.
“The government cannot, in one policy, be saying we are reducing sodium consumption and, on the other hand, fortifying sodium-based ultra-processed food,” he said.
Mr Oluwafemi warned that fortifying such products could encourage overconsumption by creating the impression that they are healthier options.
He added that ultra-processed foods lack the fibre, antioxidants and protective compounds found in indigenous diets and cannot replace wholesome foods.
Warning on health risks
Jerome Mafeni, technical adviser at the Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED), said Nigeria is at a critical point where rising sodium intake, increasing consumption of ultra-processed foods, and debates over fortification are converging.
Mr Mafeni explained that widely consumed seasoning products, including bouillon cubes, are being considered as vehicles for fortification because of their reach in Nigerian households.
However, he warned that such products are already major contributors to excessive salt intake.
“We are taking a product that contributes significantly to excessive salt intake and beginning to position it as part of a solution to a nutrition crisis. This creates a fundamental contradiction,” he said.
Mr Mafeni added that fortifying high-sodium products could create a “health halo effect,” encouraging higher consumption and increasing the risk of hypertension, stroke and cardiovascular diseases.
He noted that Nigeria has made progress in developing sodium reduction guidelines and food labelling systems, urging authorities to prioritise these measures.
“We must not solve one public health problem by creating another,” he said.
Impact on low-income households
Also speaking, Josephine Alabi, executive director of the Keen & Care Initiative, said that that although the coalition acknowledges the government’s efforts to improve access to nutritious food, there is a need to reassess current strategies.
Ms Alabi warned that programmes promoting fortified ultra-processed foods often target low-income households on the basis that they are cheaper and more accessible.
According to her, this approach could create long-term health and economic consequences.
“It is unfortunate that a strategy designed to fix a short-term vitamin deficiency can inadvertently trigger a lifetime chronic illness,” she said.
Ms Alabi noted that the burden of such illnesses often falls disproportionately on women and girls, who are typically responsible for unpaid caregiving in families.
She added that rising cases of chronic diseases such as stroke, heart disease and diabetes could push vulnerable households deeper into poverty due to medical expenses and loss of income.
“In communities where survival depends on manual labour, chronic illness could plunge a family into absolute poverty,” she said.
In addition, she highlighted that households are sometimes forced to choose between healthcare, food and education.
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Call for alternative approach
The coalition called on the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and other relevant agencies to align fortification policies with broader public health goals.
It is recommended that fortification efforts prioritise safer food vehicles such as staple crops, including cassava, orange-fleshed sweet potatoes and zinc-enriched maize.
The group also urged the government to introduce clear warning labels on ultra-processed foods, restrict misleading health claims, and strengthen regulatory enforcement.
In addition, it called for increased support for local farmers and greater promotion of indigenous, nutrient-rich diets.
While reaffirming that fortification remains an important public health tool, the coalition stressed that it must not undermine efforts to reduce diet-related diseases.
The coalition maintained that a sustainable approach to improving nutrition lies in promoting access to wholesome, locally sourced foods while ensuring that public health policies remain consistent and evidence-based.