The Standards Organisation of Nigeria has partnered with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition to deliver a targeted two-day training programme for small and medium-sized enterprises in the food production sector across the North-East. Held in Gombe, the workshop brought together manufacturers of edible oils, spices, and grains from across the region to build technical knowledge and compliance capacity around food fortification.
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Why the North-East and why now
SON North-East Regional Director Yakzum Danlami explained that the region was selected because malnutrition levels remain notably high, and that small-scale food manufacturers play a central role in the food supply chains that low-income households depend on. The sensitisation programme had already been conducted across other geopolitical zones before reaching the North-East, signalling a deliberate effort to embed fortification standards across the country’s entire production base rather than concentrating on urban manufacturing hubs.
For SMEs in food production, fortification is no longer just a public health conversation — it is quickly becoming a compliance expectation and a market differentiator.
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What the training covered
Participants were trained on how fortification should be carried out, the essential nutrients that must be added to specific food vehicles, and why compliance with regulatory standards matters for both public health and business sustainability. Authorities made clear during the workshop that regulatory agencies will enforce monitoring through laboratory testing and market inspections, and that false product claims will not be tolerated.
The Permanent Secretary of Gombe State’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism, Adamu Kala, described food fortification as simultaneously a public health intervention, an industry policy tool, and a trade competitiveness strategy — reflecting the breadth of what the programme is designed to achieve.
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What it means for small food businesses
For SMEs, the training presents both a compliance requirement and a commercial opportunity. Fortified products are increasingly in demand in health-conscious markets and are more competitive in regulated export environments. Businesses that invest in the capability to meet fortification standards position themselves to access markets that remain closed to producers operating below standard.
Small food manufacturers that treat fortification as a burden to manage will fall behind those that treat it as a foundation for building more competitive and sustainable businesses.
