Innovations in Nigeria’s Food System: Transformative Approaches to Hunger and Malnutrition

Abstract

Nigeria continues to face high levels of hunger and malnutrition despite ongoing efforts to strengthen food systems and public nutrition programs. This review explores the role of innovation in transforming Nigeria’s food system to improve food and nutrition security. Using a qualitative, desk-based approach, the study synthesizes recent peer-reviewed literature, government reports, and program evaluations from 2018 to 2024 to examine the design, implementation, and impact of various innovations. These include food fortification, biofortification, school feeding programs, digital nutrition platforms, urban agriculture, cash transfers, and behavior change communication strategies. A thematic analysis and comparative evaluation framework were applied to assess each innovation’s effectiveness, implementation reach, scalability, and contextual challenges. Findings reveal that food fortification stands out as the most effective and scalable intervention, reaching large population segments with measurable reductions in micronutrient deficiencies. Biofortified crops show strong potential but require expanded farmer education, seed access, and cultural adaptation. School feeding and digital platforms contribute to dietary improvement and awareness, though their impact is constrained by limited coverage, digital access, and funding reliability. Urban agriculture and social protection programs offer localized solutions but face scalability barriers. The review concludes that no single innovation is sufficient to address Nigeria’s nutrition challenges. Rather, a multi-pronged, context-specific, and cross-sectoral approach is required. The study emphasizes the need for policy coherence, decentralized implementation, inclusive communication models, and sustainable financing to enhance impact. It offers strategic recommendations to align agriculture, health, education, and ICT policies in building a resilient and nutrition-sensitive food system that supports progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 2.