The challenge
In 2002, the Nigerian government made the fortification of flour, oil and salt mandatory. By fortifying these staple foods with key micronutrients, their goal is to make sure that every Nigerian receives the vitamins and minerals they need, helping to reduce the incidence of spina bifida in unborn children, anaemia among women of reproductive age and to enhance cognitive development in children. In the beginning, the program was fraught with challenges: industry and government were not communicating. Food producers said that they were
fortifying, but the government had no way of controlling it. Without evidence there was no trust.
The solution
There needed to be a bridge built between government and industry, and this bridge was effective quality control. The quality control mechanism needed to be fit for purpose. It needed to be more like a bicycle than a spaceship: quick to learn and field-friendly. As well as providing hands-on training for its iCheck micronutrient test kits, BioAnalyt held full system workshops on all aspects of quality control, from auditing to inspection; sampling to impact studies.
“The trainings reinforced how important it is for inspectors to understand all aspects of the fortification program; from internal quality control and quality assurance to regulatory audits and sample analysis.”
Henry Mark, Nutrition Officer, UNICEF Nigeria
The result
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) hosted over 5 training sessions, of which BioAnalyt is a major contributor. The workshops unite government, private sector, development partners, civil society and academia, ensuring that they work in unison to achieve the goal of universal fortification in Nigeria.
To explore further stories on our collaboration with our partners, and technical capacity training updates, read here
