By Zainab Bakare
The European Union has reaffirmed its support for local production of nutrition products in Nigeria, as part of efforts to combat child malnutrition and reduce reliance on imported therapeutic foods.
EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, made the commitment during a visit to NutriK’s production facility in the Kano Free Trade Zone.
The visit formed part of a broader engagement involving representatives of EU member states and UNICEF officials focused on nutrition, healthcare, and sustainable development in northern Nigeria.
According to Mignot, strengthening local manufacturing of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) is critical to improving health outcomes for vulnerable children while supporting economic growth.
“The products manufactured here are helping to support vulnerable children while demonstrating how investment, innovation and business-friendly policies can contribute to human development and economic growth,” he said.
The ambassador noted that the visit provided an opportunity to assess progress on nutrition interventions and strengthen collaboration between the European Union, Kano State authorities, UNICEF, and private sector partners.
a French-Nigerian nutrition company and subsidiary of the France-based Nutriset Group, is currently working to increase the use of locally sourced raw materials in its production process.
The company said it still imports groundnuts due to quality challenges in local supply but is investing in improving domestic processing capacity.
Managing Director of NutriK’s, Abdoulkader Yonli, said expanding local sourcing would reduce production costs and strengthen Nigeria’s agricultural value chain, benefiting farmers, processors, and manufacturers.
He added that the company remains committed to addressing both the treatment and prevention of malnutrition, noting that demand for therapeutic foods in Nigeria continues to exceed current production levels.
Nigeria faces one of the world’s highest burdens of child malnutrition.
UNICEF estimates that about two million children suffer from severe acute malnutrition, a condition that requires urgent treatment through specialised therapeutic feeding products.
Development partners say expanding local manufacturing, improving agricultural standards, and strengthening industrial hubs such as the Kano Free Trade Zone will be key to reducing import dependence and building long-term nutrition security.
The EU said its continued support reflects a broader strategy to link humanitarian assistance with local production systems, helping to create sustainable and scalable solutions to Nigeria’s nutrition challenges.
