Nigeria’s largely invisible nutrition crisis is quietly eroding the country’s economic potential, with experts warning that widespread deficiencies in folate (vitamin B9) and vitamin B12 are driving preventable birth defects, poor cognitive development, lower educational outcomes and reduced workforce productivity.
Nutrition specialists are now urging the federal government to make the fortification of bouillon cubes with folic acid and vitamin B12 mandatory, describing the measure as one of the country’s most cost-effective public health investments and a critical step toward building a healthier and more productive population.
Their call comes as Nigeria records an estimated 7.5 million births every year, with about 11,000 babies born annually with neural tube defects (NTDs), serious congenital abnormalities of the brain and spinal cord that are strongly linked to folate deficiency. Scientific evidence shows that adequate folic acid intake before conception and during early pregnancy can reduce the risk of these defects by as much as 70 percent.
Experts say the economic consequences extend far beyond hospitals.
Children born with preventable neural tube defects often require lifelong medical care, repeated surgeries, rehabilitation and specialised support. Those costs are borne not only by families but also by the healthcare system and the wider economy through reduced educational attainment, lower labour productivity and lost human capital.
‘As Nigeria seeks to accelerate economic growth and human capital development, addressing hidden hunger must become a national priority. A healthier population is a more productive population,’ nutrition experts said
Neural tube defects are the second most common congenital neurological abnormalities in Nigeria. They include spina bifida, where the spinal cord does not develop properly; anencephaly, a severe underdevelopment of the brain that is usually fatal; and encephalocele, in which brain tissue protrudes through an opening in the skull.
While some children born with neural tube defects survive into adulthood with specialised care, others die shortly after birth or live with permanent disabilities that place enormous emotional and financial burdens on their families.
Health experts argue that many of these cases could be prevented if women receive adequate folic acid before conception and during the first four weeks of pregnancy, a period when many women are not yet aware they are pregnant.
That is why nutrition advocates are pushing for the mandatory fortification of bouillon cubes, one of the most widely consumed food products in Nigeria.
Unlike supplements, which depend on women accessing healthcare and remembering to take them daily, fortified bouillon cubes would deliver folic acid and vitamin B12 through a food already consumed in virtually every household, regardless of income or geography.
Dr. Jamila Lawal, a Nigerian nutritionist and public health expert, said fortifying foods that people already consume every day is a proven public health strategy.
‘What is wrong with fortifying the food people are already eating? We already fortify several staple foods. Nobody argues that flour should stop being fortified with vitamin A simply because some people choose not to eat bread. Bouillon cubes are part of our food culture and are consumed in almost every household. They are an appropriate vehicle for delivering folic acid, especially for women before and during pregnancy,’ Lawal said.
She said reliance on folic acid tablets alone has not delivered the desired public health outcomes because many women either begin taking supplements too late or do not take them consistently.
‘Fortification does not replace supplementation. It complements it by ensuring women receive essential nutrients through their everyday diet,’ she said.
Olusola Malomo, assistant director dietetics Lagos State Health Service Commission, General Hospital, Badagry, agreed that fortification could significantly reduce neural tube defects but warned that strict regulatory oversight would be essential.
‘If this initiative is meant to tackle neural tube defects in children, then it is a good one. Government must ensure that the right quantity of folic acid is added to the bouillon cubes so women are neither getting too little nor too much. Regulators must also verify that manufacturers are adding the correct vitamins, not just changing the flavour,’ Malomo said.
He urged manufacturers to conduct rigorous scientific testing before launching fortified products and called for nationwide awareness campaigns to educate women about the importance of taking folic acid before conception and during the first eight weeks of pregnancy.
To address concerns over sodium intake from seasoning cubes, Malomo suggested manufacturers could also develop fortified variants specifically targeted at women planning pregnancy and pregnant women.
The push for mandatory fortification is supported by growing scientific evidence.
A landmark Condiment Micronutrient Innovation Trial (CoMIT), involving more than 2,000 women and children in Ghana, found that bouillon cubes fortified with folic acid and vitamin B12 significantly improved blood levels of both nutrients across different population groups. Researchers concluded that bouillon is an effective vehicle for delivering essential micronutrients at population scale in West Africa, where household consumption is nearly universal.
Nigeria introduced voluntary standards for bouillon fortification in September 2024, allowing manufacturers to add folic acid, vitamin B12, iron, zinc and iodine. However, experts say voluntary adoption has been too slow to produce meaningful nationwide impact.
More than 40 percent of Nigerian women of reproductive age are estimated to have inadequate folate intake, while vitamin B12 deficiency remains common among low-income households with limited access to animal-source foods.
For nutrition experts, the debate is no longer about whether fortification works but whether policymakers are prepared to act.
With Nigeria striving to improve human capital and meet global nutrition targets by 2030, they argue that mandatory bouillon fortification is no longer simply a health intervention, it is an economic strategy capable of protecting future generations while reducing avoidable healthcare costs and strengthening the country’s long-term productivity.