The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) has invested 10 million dollars to support farmers in producing biofortified cassava, maize, rice and other staple crops to tackle vitamin A deficiency in four states across Nigeria.
GAIN’s Country Director, Dr. Michael Ojo, disclosed this at the Close-Out Ceremony of the Strengthening Nutrition in Priority Staples (SNiPS) project, held on Thursday in Abuja.
The five-year project, implemented by GAIN in partnership with GIZ and the Green Innovation Centre for the Agricultural and Food Sector, covered Kaduna, Oyo, Nasarawa and Benue States.
Ojo said the funding was deployed under the SNiPS project, which began in 2021, to address Nigeria’s nutrition crisis and the widespread reliance on staple crops with insufficient micronutrient content, especially vitamin A, a deficiency common among children and women.
“At the same time, farmers struggled with low yields and limited access to improved planting materials. Processors found it difficult to access raw materials, faced barriers to product approval, and consumers often lacked awareness of healthier choices.
“SNiPS was born to bridge these gaps and ensure that the foods Nigerians consume daily become vehicles for better nutrition, stronger livelihoods and greater resilience,” he said.
He revealed that during the five-year period, 9,633 farmers adopted vitamin A maize, vitamin A cassava and orange-fleshed sweet potato, collectively producing over 41.6 million kilograms of nutrient-rich crops.
In addition, 978 farmers were trained in community-based seed multiplication; 625 MSMEs are now processing and marketing biofortified foods; and 32 MSMEs have expanded their operations with microgrants of between ₦2 million and ₦4 million.
Other achievements include 30 businesses receiving regulatory approvals and more than 40,000 people reached through Social and Behavior Change Communication.
Ojo noted challenges such as limited access to financing, unpredictable weather patterns affecting yields, and initial consumer resistance to unfamiliar biofortified varieties. He stressed the importance of biofortifying staple foods to ensure food and nutrition security, as well as social and economic development.
He called on government and stakeholders to institutionalize biofortification in agricultural, nutrition and school-feeding policies, and to increase investments in nutrient-enriched value chains.
Sen. Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to scaling up similar initiatives nationwide. Kyari, represented by Mr. Nuhu Kilishi, Director of Nutrition and Food Safety, said the SNiPS project had significantly improved the nutritional quality of staple crops in Nigeria.
“The current data on nutrition calls for intensified efforts and for scaling up impactful projects like this,” he said. “Let us continue to work together to ensure our staple crops are not only abundant but nutritious.”
Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), restated the agency’s commitment to strengthening food fortification and safety systems. Represented by Deputy Director Ummulkhairi Ahmed-Bobboi, she said the project had advanced national efforts in food fortification, food safety and regulatory system improvement.
Prof. Charles Anosike, Director-General of the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet), reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to providing accurate weather information to improve farm yields.
“Reliable forecasts and agro-meteorological advisories help farmers decide when to plant and harvest and how to protect their crops. This boosts yields, reduces losses and ensures that the food reaching our tables is both abundant and nutritious,” he said.
Kaduna State Commissioner of Agriculture, Mohammed Murtala-Dabo, represented by Permanent Secretary Abubakar Umar, reiterated the state’s commitment to improving access to healthy, biofortified foods.
Mr. Dav Raphael, SNiPS Desk Officer in Benue State, expressed appreciation for GAIN’s support and pledged to sustain the project’s gains. He also appealed to the Federal Government and development partners to initiate more projects that enhance food security and nutrition.
Beneficiaries of the SNiPS grants also shared success stories, expressing gratitude and reaffirming their commitment to increasing the availability of nutrient-rich staple foods.
