By Taiye Olayemi
Stakeholders in the health and nutrition sector have called for greater collaboration among governments, development partners and communities to address rising cases of malnutrition and improve nutrition outcomes across the country.
They warned that poor nutrition outcomes would continue to affect generations if left unresolved.
The stakeholders made the call at the 2026 edition of the Nestlé for Good Summit held on Thursday in Lagos.
The theme of the programme was: “Nutrition Across the Life Stages: Closing Nutrition Gaps Through a Coordinated Approach”.
They noted that Nigeria continued to face the burden of malnutrition, with undernutrition and obesity coexisting across different population groups.
The Programme Team Lead of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, Mrs Amaka Nwaora, said nutrition challenges begin from conception and could persist throughout life if interventions were not introduced early.
According to her, Nigeria records high levels of stunting, micronutrient deficiencies and anaemia among women and children under five years.
She added that obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular illnesses were also increasing.
“Nigeria is dealing with undernutrition and overnutrition at the same time.
“The answer to this is collaboration.
“If these issues are not addressed early, they continue across generations and create wider health and economic problems for society,” she said.
Also speaking, the Country Director of IDH Nigeria, Prof. Eniola Fabusoro, said the country did not necessarily lack nutrition programmes or policies but needed to improve access to and affordability of healthy foods.
According to him, increasing food production alone would not solve malnutrition if vulnerable households could not afford nutritious meals.
He called for more collaboration among government agencies, development partners and private sector organisations to improve sustainable nutrition outcomes.
“We need to improve the purchasing power of vulnerable people.
“The question is not just whether food is available in the market, but whether ordinary Nigerians can afford it,” he said.
On efforts to bridge the nutrition gap, Ms Victoria Uwadoka, Corporate Communications, Public Affairs and Sustainability Lead of Nestlé Nigeria, said the company was promoting nutrition across all life stages through education, research and product innovation.
Uwadoka said Nestlé was working with stakeholders across the health and nutrition ecosystem to provide science-based nutrition information and products tailored to local nutritional needs.
According to her, the company’s nutrition strategy in West Africa focuses strongly on addressing iron deficiency and anaemia through fortified products and innovation.
She added that the company had expanded its focus beyond infant nutrition to healthy ageing and nutrition support for older adults.
“We are improving access to nutrition information, investing in innovation and developing products that address nutritional needs across different life stages,” she said.
Mrs Taiwo Fadairo, State Nutrition Officer at the Directorate of Family Health and Nutrition, Lagos State Ministry of Health, urged stakeholders to work together to ensure more Nigerians could afford healthy meals.
Earlier, in his welcome remarks, the Managing Director of Nestlé Nigeria Plc, Mr Wassim Elhusseini, said the summit reflected the company’s commitment to creating shared value through nutrition, thriving communities and environmental sustainability.
He said nutrition should not only be viewed as food on the shelf, but as a complete system involving sourcing, production, storage, distribution and accessibility.
“When livelihoods improve and systems work better, families become healthier and communities become more resilient,” he said.
Elhusseini said the company had continued to invest in grain quality improvement, dairy development, women’s empowerment, youth upskilling and regenerative agriculture to strengthen food systems in Nigeria.
Also speaking, the Sustainability Manager of Nestlé Nigeria Plc, Ms Chinwe Obi, enlightened participants on the company’s sustainability agenda, which she said was anchored on protecting and strengthening systems that support communities and business operations.
Obi explained that Nestlé’s sustainability initiatives were interconnected and guided by the principle of safeguarding critical systems such as water resources, agriculture and supply chains.
“All of the initiatives we have spoken about are connected by one basic principle: protecting the systems that we depend on, ensuring that we enhance them, and ensuring that we strengthen them,” she said.
Obi identified water stewardship initiatives as one of the company’s key interventions, noting that access to clean and reliable water remained essential for communities.
She said the company’s water regeneration and conservation programmes were designed to improve access to quality water while promoting responsible water use.
“Communities depend on access to water, and that is why we invest in water regeneration and conservation efforts,” she said.
She also highlighted the company’s regenerative agriculture programme, which focuses on improving soil health and supporting farmers’ livelihoods.
According to her, sustainable farming practices not only protect the environment but also improve agricultural yields and strengthen incomes for farming communities.