● The International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) undertakes plant breeding to
enhance pest resistance, yields and consumer acceptability.
● The Institute of Agriculture Research and Training undertakes breeding to improve
storage, yield, and cultivation.
● International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics undertakes breeding
for pest resistance.
● Maximizing Agricultural Revenue and Key Enterprises in Targeted Sites (MARKETS II): value chain development programme including soya.
● World Initiative for Soy in Human Health promotes use of US soya in relief
programmes. WISHH is active in Nigeria in training workshops and awareness. ● Federal Institute of Industrial Research: Development of nutritious products,
6 Complementary foods
A diverse set of complementary food products is available in urban and rural areas in Nigeria. These foods target infants after weaning13 and must be consumed properly and
alongside breastmilk in order to support healthy growth in children. As discussed above, rates of proper infant feeding are alarmingly low in Nigeria, and rates of exclusive
breastfeeding are especially low. But even for children over six months feeding practices are inadequate and most children do not receive a sufficiently diverse and nutrient-dense diet of complementary foods. Indeed, children suffer major setbacks in nutrition status beginning at six months (Federal Republic of Nigeria, UNPF and UNICEF 2011: 166). Therefore,
enhancing complementary foods is a key strategy to addressing child undernutrition (World Bank 2009).
In general, the majority of weaning children in Nigeria are fed traditional weaning foods made from unsupplemented tubers or cereals (Maziya-Dixon et al. 2003; Nnam 2000). These traditional complementary foods do not contain sufficient protein or micronutrient levels to support healthy infant development (Akinrele and Edwards 1971; Ijarotimi and Ogunsemore 2006). They need to be fortified with micronutrient premixes and other nutrient-dense ingredients. There are a large number of products and private sector actors in the
marketplace for complementary foods, and this creates a complex and opaque environment for consumer decision-making. Central to enhancing the contribution of these products to reducing undernutrition will be the introduction of measures to guarantee that products are nutritionally adequate and to identify these products to consumers.
During the last 50 years, researchers have developed a wide range of potential
complementary food products in Nigeria (see Table 6.1). The Federal Institute of Industrial Research pioneered work in this area, developing a maize porridge fortified with soyabean flour known as soy-ogi (Akinrele and Edwards 1971). Today, a large number of small businesses and kitchen enterprises produce weaning mixes and complementary food products across Nigeria. Soya-based products and maize-based custard products are especially common. A small number of larger Nigerian businesses have also produced weaning mixes on an industrial scale; but thus far these products have failed to achieve consumer markets (Sahel Capital Partners and Advisory 2012b). Overall, the most widely consumed complementary foods – especially among the poor – appear to be unfortified traditional foods processed at home or in informal markets. The formal market is
overwhelmingly dominated by international brands, especially those produced by the Nigerian franchises of multinational corporations (e.g. Nestlé, FrieslandCampina) (Euromonitor International 2012).
Achieving sufficient nutrient levels in cereal-based complementary foods requires fortification
with micronutrients or nutrient-dense inputs. Traditional complementary foods, often in the form of porridges or ‘pap’, provide insufficient energy, protein, fat and micronutrients to support child development and health; consumption of these foods has been linked with poor nutritional status (Akinrele and Edwards 1971; Gegios et al. 2010). A number of mixes containing various cereals, legumes and tubers have been shown to be nutritionally adequate complementary foods, with some even containing levels of protein superior to major commercial brands (Nnam 2000). Yet without careful formulation or fortification with micronutrients, these mixes can fail to provide sufficient vitamin A, iron or zinc (Agbon, Oguntona and Mayaki 2009). The major international brand products in Nigeria generally meet international guidelines for nutrition content (Al-Othman, Khan and Al-Kanhal 1997), provided they are consumed in the recommended quantities, prepared under hygienic circumstances and form part of a diverse diet.
Affordability and perception of product quality are key. Major brand complementary food
products are not affordable to the majority of the Nigerian population. Although some locally- manufactured products are available at much lower prices, consumers prefer to purchase international brands, even when they cannot afford sufficient quantities to support children’s health. When poor households spend limited budgets on insufficient quantities of
international brands – in place of cheaper, nutritionally adequate local alternatives – this contributes to child undernutrition. Consumers’ preference for international brands is linked to the perception that domestically produced products are lower quality. In addition,
multinationals are the only businesses with truly national distribution networks, so their products are more widely available. Currently, Nestlé Nigeria is beginning to market infant foods in smaller package sizes (Euromonitor International 2012); however, these are still unaffordable to poor consumers. Enhancing consumer trust of domestic products is therefore a key priority.
Demonstrating quality to consumers requires guaranteeing nutritional content and signalling it to consumers. Consumers do not have access to information to assess the nutritional
quality of complementary food products. Evidence from a similarly structured weaning food market in Ghana shows that nutrient content can differ dramatically between otherwise similar products; thus choosing a product that is nutritionally adequate is difficult for consumers (Masters, Kuwornu and Sarpong 2011). In Nigeria, some weaning mixes have been shown to provide adequate levels of protein, fat and micronutrients (Agbon et al. 2009; Nnam 2000). Others have insufficient nutritional value. This problem compounds consumer perceptions that imported and multinational products are higher quality. Creating
mechanisms to signal nutritional quality is key to promoting affordable and healthy
complementary food products. However, establishing good governance of these systems will clearly pose a major challenge.
6.1 Nutrient content
Food composition studies indicate that some Nigerian weaning foods, when properly prepared, can contain adequate levels of protein, as well as many micronutrients (Ijarotimi and Ogunsemore 2006). Some foods (those incorporating crayfish or cowpeas) can attain protein content superior to multinational brand commercial products (Table 6.2). While a number of the mixes contain sufficient iron, none contain sufficient vitamin A (Ijarotimi and Ogunsemore 2006) (see Table 6.3). However, no evidence is available on the nutrient content of products in the form in which they are retailed or prepared in homes. Evidence from Ghana shows that – even when the constituent ingredients are relatively similar – the nutrient content of commercial weaning mixes can vary dramatically (Masters et al. 2011).
6.2 Product pricing
The prices of complementary food products vary widely. Products purchased in open markets and prepared at home are, unsurprisingly, much cheaper than packaged
alternatives. Among packaged products, those available from small and local businesses tended to be cheaper than those from large Nigerian businesses with established brand names. International brand products were the most expensive, although Nigerian-produced versions of these products were much cheaper than imports. In a market survey in Lagos, custard was observed to be the most affordable packaged product (Sahel Capital Partners and Advisory 2012b). This evidence indicates that it is possible to produce nutritionally adequate weaning foods in Nigeria at a low cost (Ijarotimi and Ogunsemore 2006). It does not, however, indicate whether marketing these products could constitute a viable business model under market conditions.