With food inflation reaching 28% in December 2023, access to safe and nutritious foods remains out of reach for many low-income households in Nigeria. Since the private sector provides the bulk of food consumed in the country, businesses are key players in ensuring that affordable, safe, and nutritious foods reach vulnerable communities.
To address this, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), with funding from the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, invested in research and business support initiatives to help companies adapt their products and sales approaches for greater nutrition impact. In 2023, the Scaling Up Nutrition Business Network (SBN) Nigeria – co-convened by GAIN and the World Food Programme (WFP) – launched a Business Innovation Competition to spotlight companies with scalable models that improve access to nutritious diets for low-income consumers, while also being sustainable and profitable.
Driving Nutrition Innovation Across Nigeria
The competition attracted 610 applications from entrepreneurs nationwide. After a rigorous selection process, 10 businesses from across Nigeria’s geopolitical regions were shortlisted:
- Abisal Foods (West) – processing biofortified crops into nutritious products, focusing on women and children.
- Gatob Noiler Farm (North Central) – promoting consumption of the nutrient-rich Noiler chicken breed.
- Inyene Agro Processing Factory (South-South) – commercialising vitamin A-rich cassava with smallholder farmers.
- Phronesis Foods (East) – promoting local healthy foods through processing and packaging.
- The Nut Place Ltd (West) – leveraging technology to produce healthy foods from nuts, tubers, and grains.
- ESOXTRA (West) – producing plant-based foods and fruit drinks, with nutrition consulting services.
- Zest4Life (West) – fruit and vegetable processing for improved diets.
- Laalfi Farms (North Central) – reducing post-harvest losses by processing fruits and vegetables.
- GOA Farms (West) – catfish farming, processing, and distribution.
- Mash Baby Food (West) – producing natural fruit and vegetable purées for children aged six months and above.
Building Business Capacity for Impact
In partnership with Fate Foundation, SBN organized a five-day boot camp in January 2024 to prepare the shortlisted entrepreneurs for the final pitch. The boot camp covered:
- Business Model Canvas and adaptation strategies
- Growth strategy and resilience planning
- Pitching techniques
- Market approaches for reaching low-income consumers
On the final day, participants delivered demo pitches to a faculty panel, presenting their business models, market reach, revenue streams, and investment needs.
The Road Ahead
As the entrepreneurs refine their pitches, SBN, GAIN, and Fate Foundation continue to provide mentorship and technical support. At the final competition in March 2024, winners will receive financial awards to help scale their solutions:
- Winner – $6,000 (₦5,000,000)
- First Runner-Up – $3,500 (₦3,000,000)
- Second Runner-Up – $2,500 (₦2,000,000)
By empowering innovative businesses, SBN Nigeria is helping bridge the gap between nutrition challenges and scalable market-based solutions, ensuring more Nigerians have access to healthy diets.
📖 Further Reading: Supporting Entrepreneurs to Adopt Scalable Techniques to Improve Nutrition for Low-Income Consumers (GAIN Blog)
