LAGOS, NIGERIA — Food industry-led group Millers for Nutrition launched its efforts in Nigeria, aiming to improve access to nutritious food in the country.

Millers for Nutrition seeks to make fortification of staple foods easier and more rewarding for millers, who are responsible for processing flour, cooking oil and rice. With implementation in eight countries, the group hopes to reach 1 billion people by 2026 with fortified flour, rice and edible oil.

“Millers for Nutrition members in Nigeria will stand apart because they represent a commitment to fortification excellence and product quality that improves the lives of the people they serve,” said Rizwan Yusufali, program director for Millers for Nutrition at TechnoServe, an international nonprofit that is coordinating program activities. “By sharing practical tools and best-in-class expertise and training from industry leaders, Millers for Nutrition will enable millers to step up and adopt food fortification best practices. And, by building brand awareness for our members, we will turn good fortification into a business advantage.”

Millers who join the group will receive free technical support to make it easier to fortify their products. This includes access to tailored technical training and business advice, product testing support and online tools and resources, which also will help reduce compliance risk and enhance production efficiency.

The group was launched in Nigeria during the 9th Agrofood Nigeria Exhibition and Summit, which was March 25-27 in Lagos.

Winners of the 2024 MFI Awards were also celebrated during the meeting, recognizing millers and brands that are leading the way in fortifying their products with essential vitamins and minerals.

Award winners included Crown Flour Mills Ltd., Flour Mills of Nigeria PLC, Raffles Oil LFTZ Enterprises and Dangote Sugar Refinery PLC. Other companies recognized at the awards ceremony include DUFIL Prima Foods and WACOT-Big Bull, recognized as the rice fortification pioneer brand.

Millers for Nutrition includes partners from across the food fortification value chain, including founding partners BASF, DSM-firmenich, Mühlenchemie/SternVitamin, Piramal, BioAnalyt and Sanku.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is providing strategic input and investment to support the creation of the coalition.