Nigeria Urged to Localise Maternal Supplement Production Amid Donor Shortfalls
Mirian Gom 
ABUJA, Nigeria – Nigerian nutrition and pharmaceutical stakeholders on Tuesday called for local manufacturing and market-based financing of multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) for pregnant women, warning that donor-funded supply cannot meet national demand.
The call came during a session at the Nigerian Academy of Science conference in Abuja, organised by the Development Research and Project Centre and global nutrition group Sight and Life.
Nigeria adopted MMS in 2021 after studies showed better maternal and birth outcomes than iron–folic acid supplements, according to Salisu Abubakar, president of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria.
“MMS contains 15 essential micronutrients and reduces anaemia and low birth weight, but supply is far below need,” Abubakar said. “Donor funding is not sustainable.”
MMS is currently distributed free in public facilities, largely through development partners.
The president of Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria, Sunday Okoronkwo said implementation research aligned with World Health Organisation guidance showed high adherence where antenatal access, trained health workers and functional supply chains existed.
Nigeria now needs to shift from pilot programmes to sustainable financing, he said.
Sight and Life’s Nigeria programme manager, Zainab Abubakar, said local production of UNIMAP-compliant MMS would cut costs and enable government procurement and insurance coverage.
Most MMS products in Nigeria are donated or not fully compliant with international standards, she added.
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