Nigeria can save lives by fortifying Maggi, other bouillon cubes – Report

In a recent report by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, titled “A Race to Nourish a Warming World,” it was revealed that fortifying common food items, like bouillon cubes, could greatly help combat child malnutrition in Nigeria.

Released on Wednesday, September 18, the report states that adding nutrients such as iron, folic acid, zinc, and vitamin B12 to popular bouillon cubes, like Maggi by Nestle and Knorr by Unilever, could prevent up to 16.6 million cases of anemia and save 11,000 lives from neural tube defects by the year 2050.

The report emphasizes that simple solutions like these could significantly reduce malnutrition, especially in countries like Nigeria, where climate change is worsening food shortages.

Ladidi Bako-Aiyegbusi, the Director of Nutrition at the Nigerian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, emphasized the need for better access to essential nutrients for children. She stated, “Without access to the essential nutrients that children under five need to grow, thrive, and lead healthy lives, they are being robbed of their future.”

The Gates Foundation also highlighted that the global child malnutrition crisis is expected to worsen if immediate actions are not taken. They warned that by 2050, an additional 40 million children could face stunting, and 28 million could experience wasting, a severe and life-threatening condition.

The report noted that climate change is making child malnutrition worse, particularly in low-income countries. It also pointed out a decline in foreign aid to Africa, where more than half of global child deaths occur. Aid directed to African nations has fallen from 40 percent in 2010 to just 25 percent in 2024, the lowest level in 20 years.

Bill Gates, co-chair of the foundation, called on world leaders to increase investment in global health, particularly in Africa. He said, “Malnutrition is the world’s worst child health crisis, and climate change is only making it worse. We must act now to protect millions of children from preventable diseases and malnutrition.”

The report showcased successful innovations in the fight against child malnutrition. For example, fortifying salt with iodine and folic acid in Ethiopia could reduce anemia and eliminate up to 75 percent of deaths from neural tube defects. Additionally, providing high-quality prenatal vitamins to pregnant women in low-income countries, including Nigeria, could save nearly half a million lives by 2040.

The report also noted the economic impact of malnutrition, stating that the global cost of undernutrition is estimated at three trillion dollars in lost productivity each year. In low-income countries, this loss can represent up to 16 percent of GDP, hindering economic growth.

The Gates Foundation urged governments to fully support global health initiatives like Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. By tackling malnutrition, the report argues, we can unlock broader benefits, such as better vaccine effectiveness and a reduction in deadly diseases.

“If we solve malnutrition, we make it easier to solve every other problem,” the report concluded, highlighting that investments in nutrition can drive economic growth and resilience against climate change.