The European Union (EU) has thrown its weight behind efforts to expand local production of therapeutic foods in Nigeria as part of measures to tackle the country’s growing malnutrition burden and strengthen nutrition supply chains.

The commitment was reaffirmed during a visit by a Team Europe delegation, led by the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, to the production facility of NutriK’s in Kano.

The delegation, which included ambassadors and representatives of EU Member States as well as officials of UNICEF, toured the company’s facility in the Kano Free Trade Zone as part of a broader mission to assess initiatives contributing to nutrition, health, sustainable livelihoods and economic development in northern Nigeria.

NutriK’s, a French-Nigerian company and subsidiary of the France-based Nutriset Group, produces Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), a specialised nutritional product used in the treatment of severe acute malnutrition among children.

The visit comes amid concerns over the scale of malnutrition in the country.

According to UNICEF, an estimated two million children in Nigeria suffer from severe acute malnutrition, underscoring the urgent need to expand access to life-saving nutrition products.

Speaking during the visit, NutriK’s Managing Director, Abdoulkader Yonli, said the company is investing in local processing capacity to enable the use of Nigerian-grown groundnuts and soya beans in the production of therapeutic foods.

He explained that although the company currently relies on imported groundnuts because local processing systems have yet to meet required quality standards, efforts are underway to improve the quality of locally sourced raw materials.

Yonli expressed optimism that the company would begin using Nigerian-sourced groundnuts in its production process within the coming months.

According to him, increased local sourcing would reduce production costs, support farmers and processors, create jobs and strengthen the entire nutrition value chain.

“Using locally grown groundnuts as well as soya will significantly reduce costs, allow us to expand production and impact the entire value chain, from farming and processing to distribution and employment,” he said.

Yonli noted that NutriK’s remains committed to combating malnutrition through both treatment and prevention, stressing that existing production capacity in Nigeria remains inadequate to meet growing demand.

“Currently there are two facilities of this kind in Nigeria, in Kano and Lagos, while most of the RUTF products are still sourced abroad. The demand remains much higher than our production capacities,” he added.

The company recently relocated to the Kano Free Trade Zone following an expansion project financed by Proparco, the private-sector financing arm of the French Development Agency Group.

The investment is aimed at boosting local manufacturing capacity and building more resilient nutrition supply chains while supporting industrial development in Kano State.

NutriK’s currently employs about 180 people directly, while many more benefit indirectly through agricultural activities, supply services and other businesses linked to its operations. The company said the number of farmers participating in its supply chain is expected to increase as local sourcing expands.

Speaking after touring the facility, EU Ambassador Gautier Mignot described the company as an example of how targeted investments can simultaneously support vulnerable populations and stimulate economic growth.

“The products manufactured here are helping to support vulnerable children while demonstrating how investment and innovation, as well as business-friendly conditions created by the Kano authorities, contribute to human development and economic growth,” Mignot said.

He added that the visit provided an opportunity for European partners to engage with stakeholders on the ground and explore ways of deepening collaboration.

“We came here to learn more about the progress being made, to engage with partners on the ground and to explore how collaboration between Kano, the European Union, UNICEF and the private sector can continue to deliver results,” he said.