FG, stakeholders rally support for biofortified crops to curb malnutrition

The Federal Government and development partners have renewed their commitment to addressing micronutrient deficiencies through large-scale promotion of biofortified crops and nutrition-sensitive food systems across Nigeria. The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Marcus Olaniyi Ogunbiyi, said achieving food security required ensuring that available food was not only sufficient but nutritious, […]

The Federal Government and development partners have renewed their commitment to addressing micronutrient deficiencies through large-scale promotion of biofortified crops and nutrition-sensitive food systems across Nigeria.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Marcus Olaniyi Ogunbiyi, said achieving food security required ensuring that available food was not only sufficient but nutritious, safe, affordable and accessible, particularly for vulnerable populations.

Ogunbiyi, who spoke in a keynote address during a 2-Day Visioning and Strategy Workshop to Develop Inter-Agency Coordination Strategy with and for the National Biofortification Steering Committee (NBSC) in Kano, sponsored by the UK funded Propcom+ project, noted that micronutrient deficiencies posed serious threats to public health, human capital development and national economic productivity.

He commended development partners and research institutions for supporting Nigeria’s biofortification initiatives and stressed the need for stronger inter-sectoral collaboration among agriculture, health, education and environmental sectors.

According to him, the workshop was organised to review progress, strengthen institutional coordination and align biofortification strategies with national food and nutrition policies.

Meanwhile, the Country Manager of HarvestPlus, Mr. Yusuf Dollah, said Nigeria currently possesses the largest portfolio of biofortified crops globally.

Dollah attributed the achievement to partnerships involving the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, the Institute for Agricultural Research and the National Cereals Research Institute.

He said the initiative was deliberately designed to ensure that rural farmers gained access to nutrient-rich seeds, improved their incomes and enhanced household nutrition through food-based agricultural approaches.

According to him, private sector participation, particularly among seed companies, food processors and value chain actors, is expanding market opportunities and encouraging smallholder farmers to adopt biofortified crop varieties.

Dollah disclosed that several improved crop varieties had already been released, including multiple Vitamin A maize and cassava varieties, iron pearl millet and zinc rice, while additional improved rice varieties were undergoing testing.

He, however, identified challenges affecting scale-up to include limited seed availability, weak value chains, low consumer awareness, slow varietal release processes and inadequate funding.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Gombe State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Mr. Ibrahim Jalo, said state governments played crucial roles in implementing nutrition-sensitive agricultural programmes.

Jalo stressed the importance of integrating nutrition priorities into state development planning and budgeting frameworks to improve food security outcomes at the sub-national level.

The Director, Nutrition and Food Safety Department, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Nuhu Kilishi, said deficiencies in Vitamin A, iron and zinc remained major public health concerns requiring urgent and sustainable interventions.

Kilishi said reliance on supplementation and food fortification alone had proved insufficient due to supply chain and coverage limitations.

He explained that the ministry was promoting biofortification as a food-based solution that enhances the nutrient content of staple crops at the production stage.

According to him, the ministry has identified critical intervention points across the food value chain, including production, transportation, storage, market distribution and household consumption.

Kilishi disclosed that Nigeria currently cultivates five major biofortified crops, namely Vitamin A cassava, Vitamin A maize, orange-fleshed sweet potato, zinc rice and iron pearl millet.

He added that the government was expanding foundation seed production through agricultural research institutions under national programmes to improve farmers’ access to improved varieties.

Kilishi said findings from national nutrition surveys indicated that consumption of biofortified crops remained low, largely due to limited availability and low public awareness.

Also contributing, Dr. Fakunle Aremu said the workshop was aimed at repositioning the National Biofortification Steering Committee as a coordinated national platform to scale climate-smart biofortified crops across Nigeria.

Aremu said although progress had been recorded in promoting Vitamin A cassava and maize, zinc rice and iron pearl millet, institutional fragmentation and regulatory gaps had slowed large-scale impact.

He explained that the engagement brought together federal ministries, regulatory agencies, research institutions, private sector actors and development partners to design a 2026–2030 strategic roadmap for biofortification implementation.

According to him, the proposed framework would define institutional roles, strengthen inter-agency coordination and accelerate nationwide adoption of biofortified crops.

He added that strengthening policy alignment and integrating biofortification into national agricultural and nutrition systems would support climate resilience and reduce micronutrient deficiencies affecting millions of Nigerians.

Stakeholders at the workshop identified major challenges affecting the scale-up of biofortified crops to include limited seed availability, weak value chains, low consumer awareness, slow varietal release processes and inadequate funding.

They called for stronger policy integration, expanded awareness campaigns, improved processing technologies and increased private sector investment to accelerate nationwide adoption of biofortified crops.