Mary Nnah
A nutrition emergency most Nigerians cannot see is quietly eroding the country’s growth, with experts warning that widespread gaps in folate and vitamin B12 are behind preventable birth defects, stunted brain development, poor school performance and a less productive workforce.
Faced with the scale of the problem, nutrition specialists are calling on the federal government to make it compulsory for bouillon cubes to be fortified with folic acid and vitamin B12, describing the move as one of the cheapest and fastest ways to improve public health and protect the nation’s human capital.
The push comes at a time when Nigeria records roughly 7.5 million births each year. Buried in that figure are about 11,000 infants born annually with neural tube defects, devastating conditions of the brain and spine that research links directly to folate deficiency.
Studies show that getting enough folic acid before conception and in early pregnancy can cut the risk of these defects by up to 70 percent.
The fallout goes well beyond hospital wards. Children born with preventable neural tube defects often live with lifelong medical needs, multiple surgeries, therapy and special care.
The burden lands on families, on an already stretched health system, and on the economy through lost schooling, weaker job output and wasted potential.
“If Nigeria is serious about growth and building human capital, then hidden hunger has to be treated as a national priority. A healthy population drives a productive economy,” experts said.
In Nigeria, neural tube defects rank as the second most common congenital neurological condition. They include spina bifida where the spine fails to close properly, anencephaly where major parts of the brain do not develop and is usually fatal, and encephalocele where brain tissue pushes through an opening in the skull.
While some children survive with intensive support, many die shortly after birth or grow up with disabilities that leave families emotionally and financially drained.
Doctors say a large number of these cases could be avoided if women had enough folic acid before they conceive and in the first month of pregnancy, a window when most do not even know they are pregnant.
That reality is driving renewed calls for mandatory fortification of bouillon cubes, a seasoning found in nearly every Nigerian kitchen across income levels and regions.
Unlike daily supplements that require clinic access and consistent use, fortified bouillon would deliver folic acid and B12 through meals people already cook every day.
Dr. Jamila Lawal, a nutritionist and public health expert, said the approach has worked elsewhere.
“Why not fortify what people already eat? We fortify flour with vitamin A and nobody questions it.
Bouillon is part of our daily cooking. It reaches almost every home and it is the right channel to get folic acid to women, especially before and during pregnancy,” Lawal said.
She noted that depending only on tablets has fallen short because many women start too late or do not keep up with them.
“Fortification is not a replacement for supplements. It fills the gap by putting nutrients into the food we eat every day,” she added.
Olusola Malomo, Assistant Director of Dietetics at Lagos State Health Service Commission, General Hospital Badagry, said fortification could make a real dent in neural tube defects but only with strong regulation.
“If the goal is to reduce these birth defects, then it is a welcome step. Government must ensure the exact amount of folic acid goes into the cubes, not too low and not excessive. Agencies also have to confirm that companies are actually adding the stated vitamins and not just flavor,” Malomo said.
He urged producers to carry out proper scientific tests before rollout and called for mass public education on taking folic acid before conception and through the first eight weeks of pregnancy.
He also suggested creating lower-sodium fortified cubes aimed specifically at women planning pregnancy and those already pregnant.
Evidence from the region backs the idea. A major Condiment Micronutrient Innovation Trial in Ghana involving over 2,000 women and children showed that bouillon fortified with folic acid and vitamin B12 raised blood levels of both nutrients significantly.
Researchers concluded that bouillon can deliver key micronutrients at scale across West Africa, where it is used in almost every household.
Nigeria set voluntary fortification guidelines for bouillon in September 2024, permitting the addition of folic acid, vitamin B12, iron, zinc and iodine.
Experts, however, say voluntary compliance has moved too slowly to create nationwide change. Current estimates show more than 40 percent of women of reproductive age in Nigeria do not get enough folate, while B12 deficiency is common in low-income homes with little access to animal-based foods.
For nutrition advocates, the question is no longer if fortification works, but whether leaders will act. As Nigeria works to meet 2030 global nutrition goals and unlock its demographic potential, they argue that compulsory bouillon fortification is more than a health fix.
It is an economic decision that can safeguard the next generation, cut avoidable healthcare spending, and strengthen long-term productivity.
