FG seeks food sector investment through nutrition initiative

KEY POINTS

• FG plans a nutrition strategy to support food industrialisation and local value addition.
• Government will map private sector capabilities and identify bottlenecks across the food value chain.
• Officials seek financing, equipment and stronger local sourcing to help food processing MSMEs scale.

MAIN STORY

The Federal Government is working with the Access to Nutrition Initiative (ATNi) to attract investment and increase local value addition in Nigeria’s food sector through the Nutrition 774 Initiative.

Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Sen. John Enoh, disclosed this on Wednesday at a private sector roundtable on nutrition in Abuja.

Enoh said the initiative would use nutrition as a driver for food industrialisation, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), private investment, job creation and stronger domestic food value chains.

He said the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment would develop a Unified Trade Sector Nutrition Strategic Plan and conduct a national mapping exercise involving stakeholders across the sector.

According to him, the exercise would identify private sector capabilities and constraints across the food and nutrition value chain and provide an actionable framework for nutrition driven industrial development.

Enoh said the government was moving nutrition beyond its traditional treatment as a health and humanitarian issue and positioning it as an industrial and economic priority.

He identified cassava, legumes, cocoa, oil palm, cashew and biofortified crops among Nigeria’s agricultural resources that could provide raw materials for competitive domestic food industries.

The minister said MSMEs would require technical support, modern processing equipment and accessible financing to expand their food processing activities.

He identified Cluster Facility Centres as potential platforms for improving processing, hygienic handling, packaging and compliance with quality standards.

Enoh also urged food manufacturers to source more raw materials locally, increase the use of biofortified inputs, improve product formulations and produce affordable fortified foods.

He called on financial institutions to develop affordable, long term financing products suited to food processing businesses.

Development partners and regulatory agencies, he added, should strengthen technical assistance, quality assurance, accountability and local procurement.

Enoh said converting agricultural resources into processed products would create stronger markets for farmers, expand opportunities for women and young people, increase employment and strengthen domestic manufacturing.

The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Chris Isokpunwu, described nutrition as an economic and industrial issue with implications for enterprise development, investment, trade and productivity.

He said private sector participation was essential because businesses provided investment, innovation, production networks and access to markets.

Isokpunwu said the roundtable would identify opportunities and bottlenecks, map private sector capabilities and develop practical pathways under the MarketFit Nutrition 2035 framework.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Nutrition, Mrs Uju Anwukah, said a healthy population was necessary for sustainable economic development.

She described the Nutrition 774 Initiative as a governance and accountability framework for tackling malnutrition across Nigeria’s 774 Local Government Areas.

Anwukah said malnutrition had implications for education, workforce productivity, economic growth and national competitiveness, adding that addressing it required private sector involvement beyond corporate social responsibility.

The Executive Director of ATNi, Greg Garrett, also called for nutrition to become a central part of Nigeria’s industrial and economic development strategy.

Garrett said addressing malnutrition required coordinated action across the food system, including farming, processing, manufacturing, distribution and consumption.

He said Nigeria’s agricultural resources and large consumer market provided opportunities to expand domestic processing and strengthen links between farmers and manufacturers.

Garrett said greater local sourcing could create markets for farmers, strengthen domestic value chains, attract investment and generate employment.

He also called for stronger compliance with national and international standards covering food production, fortification and quality assurance.

THE ISSUES

1. Nigeria’s food sector has an opportunity to capture more value from agricultural production by expanding domestic processing. The government is seeking to use nutrition policy as a link between agriculture, manufacturing and consumer demand.
2. Food processing MSMEs face financing and equipment constraints that can limit their ability to scale. The proposed approach includes technical assistance, modern processing facilities and longer term financing tailored to the sector.
3. Local sourcing could strengthen connections between farmers and food manufacturers by creating more consistent markets for agricultural products. Government also wants manufacturers to make greater use of biofortified raw materials.
4. Cluster Facility Centres could provide shared infrastructure for businesses that need processing, packaging, hygiene and quality control facilities. This could help smaller businesses meet production and regulatory requirements without carrying the full cost individually.
5. Nutrition has implications beyond food consumption because malnutrition can affect education, productivity and economic performance. Government and ATNi are therefore pushing for private sector participation as part of a broader economic response.

WHAT’S BEING SAID

“Nigeria’s agricultural resources and large consumer market presented opportunities to expand local food processing and strengthen linkages between farmers and manufacturers.” – Greg Garrett, Executive Director, ATNi

WHAT’S NEXT

The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment will develop the Unified Trade Sector Nutrition Strategic Plan and conduct a national multi stakeholder mapping exercise.

The roundtable is also expected to inform practical pathways under the MarketFit Nutrition 2035 framework.

BOTTOM LINE

The Federal Government wants nutrition to become a driver of food industrialisation, investment and local value addition rather than remain primarily a health concern. The strategy will focus on stronger domestic processing, MSME development, financing and private sector participation.