The European Union has reaffirmed its support for local nutrition production in Nigeria. It says the goal is to fight child malnutrition and reduce dependence on imported therapeutic foods.
EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, led a Team Europe delegation. They visited the NutriK production facility in the Kano Free Trade Zone.
The delegation included EU member state representatives and UNICEF officials. They discussed nutrition, health systems, and sustainable livelihoods in northern Nigeria.
Mignot said EU support focuses on linking industrial investment with humanitarian results. He said production systems must improve outcomes for vulnerable children.
The Kano facility produces Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF). This product helps treat children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
Mignot said the facility shows how private investment and development cooperation can work together. He added that this model supports both human development and economic growth.
The EU said the visit aimed to strengthen coordination among nutrition partners. These include government agencies, UNICEF, and private sector actors. NutriK’s, a French–Nigerian company, is expanding local sourcing of raw materials. However, it still imports groundnuts due to quality gaps in local supply.
The company is investing in better processing systems. As a result, it hopes to use more Nigeria-sourced inputs in the near future.
UNICEF estimates that about 2 million Nigerian children suffer from severe acute malnutrition. This condition requires urgent therapeutic feeding.
Development partners say Nigeria must expand local production capacity. They also call for stronger agricultural standards and industrial systems.
The EU says its approach combines humanitarian aid with local production support. It believes this will make nutrition interventions more sustainable and effective.
