The role of nutrition enterprises in promoting the health of workers and in providing access to safe and affordable food for vulnerable communities has been described as crucial to national development.
National Coordinator, Scaling up Nutrition Business Network (SBN), Tomisin Odunmbaku, stated this during the 2024 annual members convening, which was held in Lagos, recently, with the theme, ‘Building a National Collaborative Mechanism for Nutrition in Nigeria: A Catalyst for Change.’
He said the presence of SBN members at the convening underscored their dedication to advancing nutrition in Nigeria. He also noted that there is a need for concerted efforts and strategic partnerships to accelerate meaningful progress in making affordable, healthier diets available and accessible in the country.
Odunmbaku said, “As we gather today, we acknowledge the significant role that businesses play in shaping both the economy and the health landscape of our nation. It is important to recognise the valuable contributions of nutrition-focused enterprises in promoting the health of our workforce and in providing access to nutritious, safe and affordable food for vulnerable communities.
“The past few years have presented considerable challenges for businesses, compounded by the global crisis of COVID-19, conflicts and climate change. Despite these difficult challenges, your resilience and innovative efforts have left a lasting impact on the nutritional status and well-being of millions of Nigerians.”
Recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics paints a sobering picture of the nutritional landscape in Nigeria. With 133 million people classified as multi-dimensionally poor and over 100 million children lacking adequate intellectual stimulation, nutrition remains a fundamental driver of poverty across all regions, he said.
According to him, “Despite extensive investments and interventions, malnutrition indicators have unfortunately worsened over the past decade. This underscores the urgent need for collective action, with the private sector, including the 39 million MSMEs in Nigeria and our esteemed 397 SBN members, playing a crucial role.
“As partners in your entrepreneurial journey, we are committed to providing the support and technical assistance necessary to fulfill your commitments towards improving nutrition in Nigeria. Additionally, we remain dedicated to advocating for an enabling environment that empowers nutrition businesses to thrive.
“We encourage you to leverage the support and resources offered by GAIN through SBN, forging strategic partnerships across the nutrition value chain and within communities. By doing so, you not only position your businesses for success but also contribute significantly to the collective goal of eliminating malnutrition for good.”
The Country Director, Global Alliance for Good Nutrition (GAIN), Michael Ojo, said, “There is a lot of investment going into food production, from organisations like GAIN in supporting the system to really focus people on improving access to healthier diets, making more nutritious and safe foods more available, more accessible, more affordable.”
However, he said there are many issues in the system that are limiting the impacts that are expected, explaining that “some of these are shocks like the effect of COVID-19 on the food supply chain, the impact of climate change on our production, in areas where soil quality is less.”
He also listed unpredictable weather and insecurity, but that in the midst of all of these issues, there are things that could be done like reducing the distance that the food people will consume has to travel, thus reducing the supply chain, retaining the nutritional quality and value of food.
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