Funding, supply gaps threaten maternal nutrition scale-up in Nigeria

Stakeholders have expressed concern that the planned nationwide scale-up of Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation (MMS) for pregnant women in Nigeria is being constrained by inadequate financing, affordability challenges and insufficient supply. The concerns were raised at the launch of research findings on MMS landscaping and segmentation in Nigeria, organised in Abuja by the Federal Ministry of […]

Stakeholders have expressed concern that the planned nationwide scale-up of Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation (MMS) for pregnant women in Nigeria is being constrained by inadequate financing, affordability challenges and insufficient supply.

The concerns were raised at the launch of research findings on MMS landscaping and segmentation in Nigeria, organised in Abuja by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Sight and Life, and the Development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC).

Presenting the findings, Lead Researcher, Dr Stanley Ukpai, said Nigeria records about 7.8 million pregnancies annually and continues to face a high burden of anaemia among pregnant women.

He said while MMS provides broader nutritional benefits than iron and folic acid supplements and enjoys strong acceptance among women, long-term scale-up would require stronger public financing, better protection for low-income women and a reliable supply system.

He said financing for MMS remains inconsistent and largely dependent on donor support, while many women cannot afford the supplements consistently.

He added that current supply levels are far below what is required for nationwide coverage.

Ukpai recommended institutionalising MMS financing, improving affordability through public support and fair pricing measures, and strengthening procurement systems and local manufacturing.

Speaking at the event, Executive Director of Nutrition at the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), Anna Hakobyan, said the findings would support efforts to integrate micronutrient supplementation into broader maternal and child nutrition programmes.

Country Programme Manager for Sight and Life, Mrs Zainab Abubakar, said the study was designed to generate evidence on sustainable financing options for MMS and identify barriers to equitable access.

The Special Adviser to the President on Health, Dr Salma Ibrahim Anas, said the evidence supporting MMS was already strong, stressing that the focus should now be on scaling it effectively and equitably.

The Director of Nutrition at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Mrs Adegbite Olufunmilola, said the government had integrated MMS into national maternal nutrition and antenatal care guidelines and was exploring sustainable financing and local manufacturing options to support nationwide adoption.