Health and nutrition experts have called for stronger collaboration among government agencies, development partners, private organisations and local communities to tackle rising malnutrition cases and improve nutrition outcomes across Nigeria.
The call was made during the 2026 edition of the Nestlé for Good Summit held in Lagos with the theme, “Nutrition Across the Life Stages: Closing Nutrition Gaps Through a Coordinated Approach”.
Participants at the summit warned that poor nutrition, if left unaddressed, would continue to affect future generations and worsen health and economic challenges nationwide.
Programme Team Lead of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, Amaka Nwaora, said nutrition problems often begin from conception and can persist throughout life without early intervention.
She noted that Nigeria continues to record high rates of stunting, anaemia and micronutrient deficiencies among women and children under five, while obesity and diet-related diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular conditions are also increasing.
According to her, the country is facing both undernutrition and overnutrition simultaneously, making collaboration essential to solving the crisis.
Country Director of IDH Nigeria, Eniola Fabusoro, said Nigeria already has several nutrition policies and programmes but needs to improve access to affordable and nutritious foods for vulnerable households.
He stressed that food availability alone would not solve malnutrition if ordinary citizens lack the purchasing power to buy healthy meals.
Speaking on industry efforts, Victoria Uwadoka of Nestlé Nigeria Plc said the company is promoting nutrition education, research and product innovation to address nutritional challenges across different age groups.
She explained that Nestlé’s nutrition strategy in West Africa focuses on tackling iron deficiency and anaemia through fortified products while also expanding support for healthy ageing and nutrition among older adults.
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State Nutrition Officer at the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Taiwo Fadairo, urged stakeholders to work together to ensure more Nigerians can afford healthy and balanced diets.
Managing Director of Nestlé Nigeria Plc, Wassim Elhusseini, said nutrition should be viewed as a complete system involving food sourcing, production, storage, distribution and accessibility.
He added that the company continues to invest in grain quality improvement, dairy development, youth empowerment, women’s support initiatives and regenerative agriculture to strengthen Nigeria’s food systems.
Also speaking, Sustainability Manager at Nestlé Nigeria Plc, Chinwe Obi, highlighted the company’s sustainability programmes focused on water conservation, regenerative agriculture and environmental protection.
She said, “Access to clean water and sustainable farming practices remains critical for improving community health, agricultural productivity and long-term food security.”
