By Chioma Obinna

When six-year-old Amara Eze began struggling to keep up in school, her mother, Ngozi, thought it was laziness. Amara was often pale and tired, dozing off in class and refusing her meals.

It wasn’t until a community health outreach organised by a non-governmental organisation in Enugu revealed she was suffering from iron deficiency anaemia — one of Nigeria’s most common micronutrient deficiencies — that Ngozi realised her daughter’s struggles weren’t from indiscipline but diet.

“I used to think feeding her rice and stew was enough,” she told Vanguard. “I didn’t know small nutrients like iron and vitamin A mattered that much. The nurse told me these are the things that make children strong and sharp.”

Hidden hunger

According to medical experts, micronutrients such as iron, iodine, zinc, and vitamin A are required in trace amounts, yet they are essential for growth, immunity, and brain development. Their absence is called hidden hunger because it doesn’t always show obvious signs like starvation — yet it silently impairs millions of lives.

The National Food Consumption and Micronutrient Survey (NFCMS) 2021 found that only about 28 to 29 percent of women of reproductive age in Nigeria meet the minimum dietary diversity needed for good health. This means most women and children consume enough calories but not enough nutrients to thrive.

According to Dr. Olawumi Ajayi, Lagos State Coordinator for FHI 360/Alive & Thrive, the problem often begins even before conception.

“Many Nigerian women enter pregnancy already deficient in key micronutrients. That affects both mother and child. Iron, zinc, and folate deficiencies contribute to complications in pregnancy, low birth weight, and poor child development,” she said.

Across many communities, expectant mothers like Bola Adebayo, a 28-year-old food vendor in Agege, struggle with fatigue, dizziness, and weakness — symptoms linked to iron and folate deficiency.

Although iron and folic acid supplementation have long been promoted, experts now emphasise the need for multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS), which provide a broader range of essential vitamins and minerals.

For Mr. Fadairo Taiwo, Lagos State Nutrition Officer, MMS has shown better outcomes than single supplements.

“Pregnant women need more than just iron and folate. They need iodine, vitamin A, and zinc. The challenge is ensuring access through public health facilities and awareness at community level,” he said.

In northern Nigeria, 32-year-old Zainab Musa, a mother of four in Kano, faces a similar struggle. Despite cooking regularly for her family, she noticed her youngest child, Yusuf, often fell sick and failed to gain weight.

“We eat tuwo and soup almost every day,” she said. “I thought that was enough food until a nurse told me Yusuf was lacking vitamin A and iron. I had never heard of those things before.”

Like many low-income mothers, Zainab depends on local markets where fortified foods are scarce or unaffordable. Her experience underscores the widening gap between food availability and food quality across regions.

Crisis beyond the clinic

Micronutrient deficiency doesn’t stop at pregnancy. Studies show that iron deficiency anaemia affects over 60 percent of Nigerian children under five and half of all women of childbearing age. The effects ripple through generations — stunting growth, impairing learning, and reducing national productivity.

According to Dr. Kanalio Olaloku of the Nestlé Nutrition Institute, Central and West Africa, this is more than a health issue — it’s an economic one.

“When a child is born undernourished, brain development is affected even before birth. We’re losing potential doctors, engineers, and innovators because of something as small as missing micronutrients,” he said.

Government response

In recognition of the crisis, the Federal Government has intensified nutrition efforts through a raft of new policies and programmes.

In 2025, the government launched the Nutrition 774 Initiative, a grassroots intervention designed to tackle malnutrition in all 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs). Coordinated by the National Council on Nutrition, the programme seeks to strengthen community-level nutrition services, improve maternal and child health, and expand access to fortified foods.

The initiative is part of the government’s forthcoming National Policy on Food and Nutrition, which builds on the National Multi-Sectoral Plan of Action for Food and Nutrition (NMPFAN 2021–2025). The policy aims to harmonise nutrition governance across ministries and encourage collaboration with private and non-governmental sectors.

Additionally, Nigeria has updated its national fortification standards, introducing new voluntary micronutrient guidelines for bouillon cubes — including iron, zinc, folic acid, and vitamin B12 — to help reduce hidden hunger among low-income households. Regulatory bodies such as the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, NAFDAC, and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission are also tightening fortification monitoring and compliance through a ₦500 million innovation fund launched with support from international partners.

Fortification drive and partnerships

To complement government efforts, companies and development partners are integrating nutrition directly into everyday foods through food fortification — the addition of essential vitamins and minerals to commonly consumed staples.

Recognising that millions of Nigerians rely on simple, staple-based meals daily, Nestlé Nigeria has made fortification a cornerstone of its mission to ensure that essential nutrients reach households without requiring major dietary changes.

“We know families rely on soups, stews, and pap,” said Victoria Uwadoka, Corporate Communications Manager, Nestlé Nigeria. “By fortifying products people already consume daily, we can help them get vital nutrients effortlessly.”

Over 95 percent of Nestlé’s foods and beverages in Nigeria are fortified to provide at least 15 percent of the recommended daily allowance of key micronutrients such as iron, vitamin A, zinc, and iodine per serving.

Products like Maggi Iron-Fortified Cubes and NIDO milk & soya, made from locally sourced soybeans, help reduce deficiencies among women and children.

Beyond fortification, Nestlé also supports nutrition education, community programmes, and media initiatives that teach mothers about balanced diets.

However, experts maintained that the fight against micronutrient deficiency requires collaboration among government agencies, industry leaders, nutritionists, and communities. Nestlé, alongside regulatory bodies such as the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and the National Fortification Alliance, aligns its initiatives with national nutrition targets.

“Fortification alone is not the answer,” said public health dietitian Dr. Chinyere Nwokolo. “We need education, supplementation, and biofortified agriculture to work hand in hand. Every Nigerian mother must understand what her child’s body truly needs.”

Yet, ensuring that these fortified foods meet the right nutritional standards remains a major challenge — one that depends on the strength of Nigeria’s testing and regulatory systems.

Laboratory gap

Beyond awareness and affordability, experts warn that Nigeria’s micronutrient testing capacity remains weak.

According to Dr. Abass Yusuf, Deputy Country Director of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, many local laboratories lack modern equipment and skilled analysts to monitor fortified foods.

“We have a shortage of competent food micronutrient analysts. Without quality testing, even well-intended fortification can fall short,” he cautioned.

Similarly, Aliyu Angara, Registrar of the Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria, added that many experienced analysts are retiring without adequate replacements.

“Our technical capacity is shrinking. We must invest in young scientists and laboratories to maintain national food quality standards,” he said.

Experts recommendation

Experts believed that if Nigeria strengthens its fortification programmes, empowers mothers with knowledge, and invests in food quality systems, the silent hunger that weakens millions could finally be defeated — one fortified meal at a time.

Today, Amara is back to her lively self, laughing, learning, and playing with her friends. Her mother has learned to combine fortified foods with vegetables and local protein sources.

“Now she doesn’t sleep in class anymore. It’s amazing how something so small could make such a big difference,” Ngozi said with a smile.

Until nutrition is treated as a national priority, millions of Nigerians will keep filling their plates  but not their potential.