Towards the eradication of malnutrition in Nigeria, TechnoServe has trained millers on rice fortification, using essential micronutrients such as iron, folic acid and vitamin B12, in line with the required accreditations regulators.

At the two-day training in Lagos, Technoserve, through its Millers for Nutrition initiative and in collaboration with the Promoting Rice Fortification in Nigeria (PRiFN) programme, educated the process of fortifying the grain.

While the fortification of salt, flour, and edible oil has been practiced for some years in Nigeria, rice fortification is still relatively new.

In her presentation, the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Mojisola Adeyeye, stressed the need for strategic collaboration and partnerships between millers and regulators.

Represented by the Director of the Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Directorate, Eva Edwards, she emphasised the need for fortification to address the country’s rising malnutrition rates, especially among children.

Providing an update on TechnoServe rice fortification programme, the firm’s Senior Food Fortification Specialist, , Olusola Sowunmi, highlighted progress made in scaling production, strengthening regulatory frameworks, and expanding participation across the rice value chain.

“We have a National Rice Fortification Central Coordinating Committee that is chaired by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare,” he said.

According to him, the initiative, driven by the Federal Government and supported by development partners, aims to use rice as a vehicle for delivering essential micronutrients such as iron, zinc, folic acid, and B vitamins to address widespread malnutrition.

Approved in 2021, the rice fortification programme promotes voluntary fortification and positions it as a public health intervention rather than just a commercial activity, Sowunmi said. He also disclosed that about seven rice mills are currently producing fortified rice, with more expected to come on board.

“Some mills, including WACOT and Mubadala, have secured key regulatory approvals and certifications, demonstrating that compliance is achievable within a short timeframe.”

A Control Regulatory Officer at NAFDAC, Abiola Tijani, reiterated the institution’s statutory mandate to regulate the manufacture, importation, distribution, and sale of food and other regulated products in Nigeria, noting that rice fortification falls within its broader public health responsibility.

“The agency is positioning fortified rice as a key intervention in addressing micronutrient deficiencies, particularly iron and vitamin A deficiencies identified in national assessments,” Tijani said.

He outlined two key regulatory instruments guiding fortified food production. The first is the Pre-Packaged Food Labeling Regulation, which sets out requirements for clear, visible, and accurate product information to ensure consumer transparency.

While the second is the Food Fortification Regulation, which specifies nutrient thresholds and conditions that must be met before any product can be labeled as “fortified.”

For Nene Obianwu of Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), standards are developed through stakeholder consensus, involving government ministries, regulators, and industry players, and are critical for maintaining order and uniformity across the value chain.

She noted that compliance with these standards is essential for certification and market acceptance. For fortified rice, both the base product (milled rice) and the final fortified product must meet relevant standards before certification can be granted, reflecting the need for quality control at every stage of production.

“If a product does not meet the required nutrient levels, it must not be labeled as fortified. Also, no recycled material should be used for packaging fortified rice, as it may contain residual chemicals and contaminants that can migrate into the product and compromise food safety,” Obianwu said.