FG distributes 3m micronutrient supplements to pregnant women

The Federal Government has distributed three million bottles of multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) to pregnant women nationwide and expanded nutrition treatment services in high-burden states, the outgoing Director of Nutrition at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Ladidi Bako Aiyegbusi, has said. Aiyegbusi disclosed this in Abuja during her valedictory address at the […]

The Federal Government has distributed three million bottles of multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) to pregnant women nationwide and expanded nutrition treatment services in high-burden states, the outgoing Director of Nutrition at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Ladidi Bako Aiyegbusi, has said.

Aiyegbusi disclosed this in Abuja during her valedictory address at the official handover ceremony, marking the end of her tenure which began in August 2023.

She attributed the progress recorded by the department to teamwork and institutional collaboration.

“The achievements we have recorded in the field of nutrition were not done by me alone. They are the result of collective effort,” she said.

Recalling the early challenges, Aiyegbusi said she assumed office when the Nutrition Division—then under the Family Health Department—had just 37 officers instead of the required 96, alongside gaps in data management, commodity tracking and policy frameworks.

By November 24, 2023, the division was upgraded to a full-fledged department, but challenges persisted.

“Two essential nutrition commodities — multiple micronutrient supplements and small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements — were not on the National Essential Medicines List, nor were nutrition commodities captured on the National Health Logistics Management Information System,” she noted.

According to her, the absence of integrated data meant the ministry depended heavily on development partners for consumption statistics.

To address maternal anaemia, Aiyegbusi said the government collaborated with partners to secure MMS donations.

“In 2024, three million bottles of MMS were brought into the country and distributed to the 36 states and the FCT based on anaemia burden. Another three million bottles were distributed in 2025,” she said.

She added that more than 2.3 million pregnant women received MMS in 2024 alone, explaining that each bottle contains 180 tablets with 15 essential micronutrients, taken daily to support maternal and fetal health.

On breastfeeding promotion, she said aggressive advocacy and media campaigns were deployed.

“During World Breastfeeding Week in August 2024, over 31 million women breastfed simultaneously for one minute across the country. That was a world record,” she said.

Aiyegbusi further disclosed that Nigeria became the first country globally to introduce MMS for preventing anaemia in pregnancy through a structured policy framework, including a national roadmap, landscape analysis in 18 states, and standardised training manuals.

“We trained over 120 national master trainers, while 12 states have conducted state-level trainings, with over 300 frontline health workers trained in five states,” she said.

She also said all nutrition commodities had now been fully integrated into the national logistics management system, with over 300 health workers trained on data entry and utilisation.

Addressing child malnutrition, Aiyegbusi described recent figures as concerning.

“Forty per cent of children under five are stunted,” she said, adding that government responded by establishing 362 additional treatment sites in 13 high-burden states.

She said community volunteers were being trained for early detection, while the Nutrition 774 initiative spearheaded by the Office of the Vice President was expanding nutrition interventions at grassroots level.

“Malnutrition is not a health issue alone; it is multisectoral,” she said, urging the media to support accountability and public awareness.

Beyond clinical care, she said the department promoted healthy diets through traditional and religious institutions, standardised nutrient-dense local foods such as Tom Brown, and planned community nutrition centres to improve food knowledge and preparation.

She also announced the development of several policy documents, including a national social and behavioural change strategy, an advocacy framework, a nutrition-in-emergencies framework, and a scaling-up nutrition strategy.

Reflecting on her exit, Aiyegbusi described the moment as emotional.

“This department has been more than a workplace to me. It has been family, purpose, and a journey that shaped me deeply,” she said.

In her acceptance speech, the incoming Director of Nutrition, Olufunmilola Adegbite, expressed gratitude for the appointment, describing it as unexpected.

“When it came, I received it with joy,” she said.

Adegbite, an epidemiologist with over 30 years of public health experience, said she was eager to apply her expertise in outbreak and epidemic management to strengthen nutrition outcomes.

She paid tribute to her predecessor, describing her as a mentor and praising the foundation she laid.

“To be the pioneer director is not easy. The foundation has been solidly built. It is now our responsibility to build upon it,” she said.

Acknowledging receipt of the handover notes dated December 25, Adegbite said the document would guide continuity and quality during the transition, pledging close collaboration with staff and partners to improve nutrition outcomes nationwide.