The NFA held its First Bi-Annual Meeting of 2026 in Lagos, reviewing fortification progress, advancing digital transformation, and adopting key resolutions to strengthen Nigeria's food fortification programme
Lagos, Nigeria | 30 June 2026
The National Fortification Alliance (NFA) successfully held its First Bi-Annual Meeting of 2026 on 30 June 2026 at the Radisson Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos State, bringing together representatives of government ministries, regulatory agencies, the food industry, development partners, academia, professional bodies, civil society organizations, and other key stakeholders to review progress and chart the next phase of Nigeria's Large-Scale Food Fortification (LSFF) Programme.
Chaired by Mr. Fred Chiazor, the meeting reviewed progress made since the previous Alliance meeting, assessed ongoing food fortification interventions, considered emerging scientific evidence and innovations, examined regulatory and implementation challenges, and adopted strategic resolutions to strengthen Nigeria's food fortification programme.
Strengthening Collaboration for Better Nutrition
Participants commended the sustained collaboration among the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMoHSW), the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), industry partners, development partners, academia, and civil society organizations in improving access to adequately fortified foods across Nigeria.
The Alliance reaffirmed that strong multi-sectoral collaboration remains fundamental to achieving sustainable improvements in nutrition and reducing micronutrient deficiencies nationwide.
Advancing Digital Transformation
A major highlight of the meeting was the continued digital transformation of Nigeria's food fortification programme.
Members reviewed progress on the development of the National Fortification Alliance Website, which will serve as the Alliance's official digital platform for communication, technical resources, publications, news, and stakeholder engagement. The Alliance also considered recommendations to strengthen the website ahead of its official launch, including improved navigation, expanded technical resources, governance information, institutional profiles, and enhanced administrative access for member institutions.
The meeting also received updates on the Digital Fortification Quality Traceability Plus (DFQT+) Platform and NAFDAC's maiden Digital Market-Level Large-Scale Food Fortification Monitoring and Compliance Survey, both of which are improving regulatory oversight through real-time data collection, traceability, and evidence-based decision-making.
Enhancing Compliance and Regulatory Oversight
The Alliance reviewed reports from NAFDAC, SON, and FCCPC on compliance monitoring and market surveillance activities.
While improvements were noted across several mandatory food vehicles, members expressed concern over the continued circulation of unregistered and unbranded edible vegetable oils and emphasized the need for stronger market surveillance, coordinated enforcement, and increased consumer awareness regarding fortified foods and regulatory quality marks.
The meeting also highlighted the importance of harmonized regulatory activities, strengthened laboratory capacity, and monitoring across the entire food fortification value chain—from production and distribution to retail markets and household consumption.
Science, Standards and Innovation
Participants reaffirmed the importance of harmonized food fortification standards, quality assurance systems, and scientific evidence in supporting effective programme implementation.
The Alliance reviewed progress in strengthening national laboratory capacity and discussed ongoing work to harmonize analytical methodologies, address premix quality assurance challenges, and improve consistency in micronutrient analysis across laboratories.
Members also considered emerging initiatives, including the Promoting Rice Fortification in Nigeria (PRiFN) programme and scientific innovations such as phytase for improving micronutrient bioavailability.
Key Resolutions
At the conclusion of the meeting, the Alliance adopted several resolutions aimed at strengthening Nigeria's food fortification programme, including:
- Finalizing and officially launching the National Fortification Alliance website.
- Expanding digital monitoring and compliance systems across the food fortification value chain.
- Strengthening collaboration among NAFDAC, SON, FCCPC, and other stakeholders.
- Intensifying market surveillance against unregistered and non-compliant food products.
- Enhancing national laboratory capacity and harmonizing analytical methods.
- Sustaining implementation of the National Bouillon Fortification Programme and the Promoting Rice Fortification in Nigeria (PRiFN) initiative.
- Promoting scientific research, innovation, consumer education, and behaviour change communication to improve demand for adequately fortified foods.
Looking Ahead
The Alliance concluded the meeting by reaffirming its collective commitment to ensuring that all Nigerians have sustained access to safe, quality, and adequately fortified foods through effective regulation, scientific evidence, strategic partnerships, and coordinated implementation of the National Large-Scale Food Fortification Programme.
The Secretariat will continue to monitor implementation of the adopted resolutions and provide progress updates at subsequent meetings of the National Fortification Alliance.