Malnutrition remains one of Nigeria’s most pressing yet solvable challenges. It is not only a health issue but also an economic and human capital issue. Every malnourished child represents lost potential, lower learning outcomes, and reduced productivity in adulthood.
According to the Global Nutrition Report (2025), 31.5% of Nigerian children under five are stunted, meaning their growth has been permanently affected by chronic undernutrition. Another 6.5–7% are wasted which is an indicator of acute malnutrition that threatens survival.
In the North East and North West, the situation is far more severe. UNICEF (2025) projects that nearly 5.4 million children could face acute malnutrition between 2024 and 2025, with 1.8 million of them severely acutely malnourished (SAM). These are not just numbers; they represent real lives, families, and communities under immense nutritional stress.
But amid the challenge, there is a quiet revolution happening which is powered by local innovations and resilience.
A shift toward homegrown solutions
Across Nigeria, communities, entrepreneurs, researchers, and farmers are stepping up with local solutions that are changing how the country tackles malnutrition. These initiatives are not just imported models; they are born of local realities, leveraging Nigerian ingenuity, resources, and resilience.
Here are some inspiring examples that are making waves:
1. Farming for Nutrition: Biofortified Crops Fighting Hidden Hunger.
Biofortification is the process of breeding essential vitamins and minerals directly into staple crops so that the everyday foods that Nigerians already eat become more nutritious.
In Nigeria, this approach is transforming lives through vitamin A-enriched cassava and maize, iron pearl millet, and orange-fleshed sweet potatoes. Organizations such as HarvestPlus, in collaboration with Nigeria’s research institutes and private seed companies, are leading the commercialization of this innovation.
Millions of smallholder farmers now cultivate these crops, and millions of families eat them daily. The best part is that these crops look, taste, and cook just like the foods people already love but they deliver more nutrition in every bite.
These crops not only fight hidden hunger but also create new markets for seed companies, agro-dealers, and processors who turn them into flour, snacks, and baby foods.
2. Locally Produced RUTF: From Lifesaving to Locally Made
Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) is a nutrient-packed paste that are used to treat children that are suffering from severe acute malnutrition. For years, Nigeria relied heavily on imports but that is changing.
Local firms such as Nutrik Nigeria Ltd. are now producing RUTF domestically, using locally sourced ingredients like groundnuts, soybeans, and maize. In 2024, Proparco, a French development finance institution, provided €2 million in financing to help in the expansion for the production in Northern Nigeria.
This shift is a game changer. Local production means lower costs, faster delivery, and importantly more jobs for Nigerians. This also strengthens the agricultural value chain by connecting local farmers to nutrition-driven markets. Every sachet of RUTF produced in Nigeria is a symbol of national self-reliance and a step toward a sustainable nutrition economy.
3. Fortified Foods: Making Everyday Meals Count
Fortification which is an addition of essential vitamins and minerals to foods like flour, oil, salt, and sugar, remains one of Nigeria’s most successful nutrition policies. Since the early 2000s, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has enforced fortification standards that require staple foods to be enriched with nutrients such as vitamin A, iron, and zinc.
While challenges remain with enforcement and quality control, food fortification has helped millions of Nigerians to get the nutrients that they need, often without even realizing it. It is a quiet success story that proves that small policy changes can make a massive difference.
4. Home-Grown School Feeding: Building Nutrition and Hope
The National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme is another shining example of a local solution that feeds both stomachs and economies. By sourcing food from local farmers to feed schoolchildren, it strengthens local food systems while improving children’s nutrition and school attendance.
The program, supported by the World Food Programme (WFP), has reached millions of children nationwide and it shows how nutrition and education can go hand in hand.
When a child eats a balanced meal at school, it does more than fill their belly. It fuels their brain, boosts concentration, and keeps them in class. That is how intergenerational cycle of malnutrition and poverty is being quietly defeated.
From Pilot to Scale: The Road Ahead
Local solutions are working, but scaling them sustainably requires coordinated effort. Here are what needs to happen next:
- Invest in Quality and Standards: Biofortified, local RUTF and fortified food producers need access to technology, training, and financing to meet international quality standards.
- Create Market Demand: Public awareness campaigns can help families to understand the value of nutritious foods, while school feeding programs can anchor consistent demand for local produce.
- Expand Financing: Small and medium nutrition-focused businesses need affordable credit and blended finance models that reduce risk for investors.
- Strengthen Policy Coordination: Nutrition should remain a central part of agriculture, health, and education policies, not just an afterthought.
The economics of good nutrition
Investing in nutrition isn’t just a moral responsibility but one of the smartest economic decisions that any country can make.
According to the World Bank, nations lose up to 10% of their GDP every year due to the effects of malnutrition on health, productivity, and cognitive performance. When people are poorly nourished, economies simply cannot thrive.
In Nigeria, improving nutrition could transform the country’s future by:
- Raising a healthier generation of children who are better learners that grow into sharper and more capable adults.
- Building a stronger workforce, employees with the energy and focus to produce more and earn more.
- Reducing healthcare costs by preventing diet-related diseases before they begin.
- Strengthening agribusiness and innovation as nutritious food systems open new markets and create jobs.
In essence, nutrition is not charity, but smart economics. Every investment in food quality, school feeding, and community nutrition programs yields a return in productivity, health, and human potential.
When we nourish people, we don’t just save lives, we strengthen economies and secure futures.
A shared commitment for a nourished Nigeria
Ending malnutrition in Nigeria isn’t the responsibility of one group but a shared mission. Every sector, every community, and every individual has a role to play in building a healthier nation.
Here are what our collective action can look like
- Government must sustain funding, enforce food fortification laws, and champion nutrition-smart agriculture and school feeding programs.
- Private Sector should invest boldly in nutritious food production, processing, and logistics that bring healthy options closer to families.
- Development Partners can de-risk private investments, support innovation, and provide technical expertise that strengthens local systems.
- Civil Society & Media have the power to raise awareness, drive behavioral change, and keep nutrition high on the public agenda.
- Academia & Researchers must continue to generate local evidence, tracking impact, and innovating context-specific solutions.
- Individuals & Families play their part by making informed, nutritious choices and supporting local healthy food options.
When these forces align, the results are powerful and leads to stronger children, healthier families, and a more resilient economy. Good nutrition is everyone’s business. The future of Nigeria’s wellbeing depends on collective responsibility and sustained collaboration. Together, we can nourish a nation, one meal, one policy, and one community at a time.
The Bigger Picture: Nourishing the Nation, One Community at a Time
Nigeria doesn’t lack solutions. She has many of them. What we need now is coordination, commitment, and consistency to connect all the moving parts into one national effort.
The future of nutrition in Nigeria won’t be built on imported blueprints but it will be shaped by homegrown innovations, local leadership, and the determination of communities who refuse to accept hunger as normal.
Every fortified flour bag, every biofortified crop, every school meal served, and every locally produced RUTF pack is more than a product. It is a piece of the bigger picture:
- A picture of a stronger child.
- A healthier family.
- A more prosperous nation.
From Kano to Calabar, from small farms to food factories, Nigerians are leading a quiet revolution in nutrition, one that is transforming lives, communities, and the economy. We are proving that real change starts from the ground up and that a nourished nation is within reach when we all work together.
Let’s keep the momentum. Let’s nourish Nigeria: one community, one innovation, and one generation at a time.
Dr Aremu Fakunle is a Senior Agribusiness and Public Policy Expert based in Abuja. He can be reached via fakunle2014@gmail.com
