The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to improving the nutritional well-being of Nigerians, particularly vulnerable groups such as children under five, pregnant and lactating women, and other nutritionally at-risk populations.

Speaking at the stakeholders’ meeting on the Tom Brown Policy Dialogue, themed ‘Establishing a Unified Framework for Tom Brown in Nigeria’, the Director and Head of the Nutrition Department at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Mrs Olufunmilola Adegbite, lamented that malnutrition remains a significant public health challenge in Nigeria.

She noted that despite progress recorded through various nutrition interventions, undernutrition, especially stunting, wasting and micronutrient deficiencies, continues to threaten national development.

According to her, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has continued to prioritise food-based strategies and the promotion of locally available, nutrient-dense complementary foods.

Adegbite explained that Tom Brown, a traditional complementary food made from a blend of cereals and legumes, has gained wide recognition for its potential to improve dietary intake among young children. However, she noted that its preparation, nutrient composition, hygiene standards, quality control and scalability remain inconsistent across the country.

She said the meeting presented a critical opportunity for stakeholders to harmonise efforts and develop a clear national framework for the standardised production, quality assurance and implementation of Tom Brown.

Adegbite observed that the goal is to institutionalise the home-grown solution as a viable, affordable and culturally acceptable complementary food option for combating malnutrition, while providing technical guidance for households, small-scale producers, state actors and development partners.

Also speaking, the Country Representative of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Nigeria, Akim Kikonda, said nutrition remains a cornerstone of human development. He added that sustainable, locally available solutions, such as those demonstrated by Tom Brown, have demonstrated their value in improving infant and young child feeding practices and addressing malnutrition among vulnerable populations.

Kikonda noted that the promotion and utilisation of nutrient-dense complementary foods prepared from locally sourced ingredients not only enhance dietary diversity but also contribute to household resilience, food security and long-term sustainability.

He explained that the objective of the meeting was to review and strengthen stakeholders’ understanding of the role of Tom Brown as a sustainable complementary food option, improve alignment with national nutrition policies and guidelines, and foster collaboration among key stakeholders to ensure harmonised and effective nutrition programming across Nigeria.

According to him, the meeting also provides opportunities for scaling up best practices and reinforcing policy-driven approaches that will contribute to improved nutritional outcomes, particularly among children under five.

In her presentation, an Assistant Director in the Nutrition Department of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Mrs Yvonne Yinfaowei, said the ministry has recognised the importance of Tom Brown in the prevention and management of moderate acute malnutrition (MAM), hence the need to standardise its production and scale up its use beyond the North-East to other parts of the country.

Yinfaowei, however, emphasised the need to consider Nigeria’s cultural diversity and dietary preferences, which may influence the composition of Tom Brown consumed in different regions.

She stressed that the essence of the guideline is to ensure the availability and production of safe and nutritious Tom Brown through standardised procedures regulating its processing, production and distribution across the country.

Yinfaowei explained that the guidelines would be implemented and enforced by relevant government agencies, including the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMoHSW), the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).

She added that quality control remains crucial in ensuring the safety, consistency and quality of Tom Brown products.
Yinfaowei urged producers and distributors to comply with the guidelines to guarantee the production and distribution of safe and nutritious Tom Brown nationwide.

The Deputy Director and Head of the Food and Agriculture Group in the Standards Development Department of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Mrs Nene Obianwu, said the agency has the mandate to implement government policy through standardisation and quality assurance.

She disclosed that SON has already commenced work on Tom Brown standards to align production practices, ensure a level playing field for producers and safeguard consumer safety.