In a collaborative effort involving the United States government, facilitated by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), along with the Government of Nigeria and various stakeholders, a trade fair was recently organized in Abuja. The primary objective of this event was to cultivate innovation and cooperation aimed at tackling severe acute malnutrition within the country.
The event, named the “Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF) and other Life-Saving Nutrition Commodities Expo,” served as a platform for engagement among government officials, members of the donor community, and manufacturers of RUTF. This gathering facilitated discussions on challenges, sharing of experiences, networking, and exploration of joint prospects to expand RUTF programs.
Additionally, the expo provided an opportunity for local manufacturers, investors, and entities associated with the RUTF and life-saving nutrition commodities value chains to exhibit their products and novel ideas.
Within Nigeria, severe acute malnutrition remains a pressing public health issue, impacting approximately 3.6 million children. Given ongoing challenges related to food security, limited access to quality healthcare, and insufficient nutrition interventions, there is a vital need for robust cross-sectoral collaboration and inventive approaches. Enabling sustainable local availability of affordable life-saving nutrition commodities is imperative to combat severe malnutrition among Nigerian children.
Recent findings from the 2021 Food Consumption and Micronutrients Survey disclosed an alarming increase in the prevalence of severe malnutrition among Nigerian children, rising from 7 to 12 percent over the past five years. Worrisomely, only 2.8 percent of these afflicted children received therapeutic food treatment due to inadequate access to RUTF.
A key strategy to enhance access to this critical treatment involves boosting local production and procurement of RUTF. Prominent local producers such as Ariel Foods, Emzor Foods, Dabs, and Nutri-K have demonstrated their capability to consistently supply these essential nutrition commodities, contributing to the solution, as indicated in the statement.
Speaking at Wednesday’s event, USAID Mission Director Dr. Anne Patterson remarked, “This Trade Fair provides a much-needed platform for local manufacturers, investors, and other operators in the RUTF and nutrition commodities value chain to display their products and innovations.
“In addition, participants will have a valuable opportunity to network and build connections with the Nigerian government, donors, implementing partners, and other stakeholders. We hope that this trade fair provides a platform to build meaningful relationships that will result in sustainable local access to affordable, lifesaving, nutrition commodities that help reduce severe malnutrition in Nigeria.”
According to John Rachkara, Interim Chief of the Party for the USAID-funded Feed the Future Nigeria Rural Resilience Activity, this Trade Fair is a game changer. “Supporting local production of specialized nutritious products and facilitating linkages for local sourcing of raw materials will undoubtedly drive down the cost of RUTF production. If the costs come down, we can save more lives with the same amount of resources.
“With the partnerships formed during this trade fair, we expect to see a turning point in the fight against malnutrition in Nigeria, leading to a bright future where no child is left malnourished.”
