‘Only 33% of families in Nigeria consumes fortified edible oil’

The Senior Technical Adviser of Civil Society – Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN), Dr Olanrewaju David Olayemi, has disclosed that only 33 percent of families in Nigeria consume fortified edible oil.

He made the disclosure during a stakeholders meeting organized by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in collaboration with Civil Society – Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) with Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) held in Abuja on Tuesday.

According to him, Nigerians face significant challenges in addressing micronutrient deficiencies, with unfortified bulk edible oils and inadequate workforce nutrition programs contributing to poor health outcomes and reduced productivity.

Speaking during an interview with Newsmen, Dr. Olanrewaju said, “This campaign is about branding and fortification of consumables oil. So we are advocating for the regulatory body should ensure that all imported oils entering the country must possess branding and fortification.

“Though our major concern here is oil that is being produced locally here in Nigeria to ensure that they undergo branding and this can be traced by NAFDAC, SON among other government agencies on the sources of such oil to ensure that they meet regulations.”

He explained that for edible oil to be fortified government policies specifies that certain macronutrients such as vitamin A, iodine form parts of the oil in other to make them richer and add value before the point of sales for consumption.

Dr. Olanrewaju stressed that absence of such macronutrients in edible oil causes diseases therefore they’re ensuring such diseases are minimize to a certain stage.

He reiterated that part of their campaign is to ensure that government formulate laws and reviews some of its policies by creating awareness that people consumes fortified edible oil.

Ladi Bako-Aiyegbuisi, Director of Nutrition, FMOHSW in her opening speech outlined that the meeting is a critical step in repositioning food fortification in Nigeria.

She acknowledged key participants, including the Abia State PS, State Nutrition Officers (Lagos, Abia, Kano), and CS-SUNN coordinators noting that despite over 20 years of fortification efforts, malnutrition remains alarming as Oil 67% of Nigerians consume unbranded oil; only 31% of oils are fortified. Salt though 90 is reportedly fortified, goitre cases persist.

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The widespread sale of unregulated bulk edible oil in open markets exacerbates these challenges. This oil is frequently adulterated and lacks essential fortification, contributing to micronutrient deficiencies. Implementing effective food fortification, guided by sound principles and robust policies and regulations, is crucial for preventing and controlling micronutrient malnutrition in Nigeria.

The Permanent Secretary of Budget and Planning in Abia State, Magdalene Onwu said food and nutrition are fundamental to life. Key questions must be addressed: What are the core issues, and what steps can we take to resolve them?

The Permanent Secretary expressed hope that this meeting would generate actionable insights, given the expertise of attendees. She also stressed the need to verify whether marketed fortified foods are truly fortified.

Earlier, CS-SUNN Project Manager on behalf of the Executive Secretary, Ridwan Awosanya had welcomed participants, highlighting CS-SUNN’s decade-long advocacy for improved nutrition in Nigeria. For Large-Scale Food Fortification (LSFF), CS-SUNN leads campaigns to drive stakeholder engagement, policy reform, and public awareness—starting with this two-day meeting.

The highlights of the event was the Unveiling of the TPAC Project with its components which includes Phasing Out Unbranded Edible Bulk Oil and addressing the widespread consumption of non-fortified, unbranded oils to improve food safety and nutritional standards.