Nigeria’s largely invisible nutrition crisis is quietly eroding the country’s economic potential, with experts warning that widespread deficiencies in folate (vitamin B9) and vitamin B12 are driving preventable birth defects, poor cognitive development, lower educational outcomes and reduced workforce productivity.
Nutrition specialists are now urging the federal government to make the fortification of bouillon cubes with folic acid and vitamin B12 mandatory, describing the measure as one of the country’s most cost-effective public health investments and a critical step toward building a healthier and more productive population.
Their call comes as Nigeria records an estimated 7.5 million births every year, with about 11,000 babies born annually with neural tube defects (NTDs), serious congenital abnormalities of the brain and spinal cord that are strongly linked to folate deficiency. Scientific evidence shows that adequate folic acid intake before conception and during early pregnancy can reduce the risk of these defects by as
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