West Africa Advances Nutritional Security with New Regional Standards for Fortified Foods

By Bheki Dlamini

Praia, Cape Verde — In a significant step toward combating persistent malnutrition in West Africa, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Technical Committee for Standards Management (TMC) convened on July 28-29, 2025, in Praia, Cape Verde, to review and validate revised regional standards for fortified foods.

This important initiative aims to harmonise food safety and nutritional guidelines across member states, targeting staples such as iodised salt, fortified vegetable oils, and wheat flour, all critical to improving public health outcomes in the region.

Malnutrition remains a formidable barrier to sustainable development in West Africa, impacting millions of children and adults alike. According to reports from UNICEF and regional health bodies, micronutrient deficiencies, including iodine, vitamin A, and iron, are widespread, contributing to stunted growth, impaired cognitive development, and increased mortality, particularly among children under five.

Recognising the urgent need for coordinated action, ECOWAS has prioritised food fortification as a proven, cost-effective strategy to enhance nutrient intake at the population level. The revision and standardisation of fortification criteria are designed to boost effectiveness and ensure that all fortified products entering the regional market meet strict safety and nutritional benchmarks aligned with international standards.

The ECOWAS Technical Committee for Standards Management: Harmonising Quality and Safety

This session of the TMC forms part of the overarching Common Industrial Policy for West Africa (PICAO) and the ECOWAS Standards Harmonisation Model (ECOSHAM).

These frameworks aim to eliminate technical barriers to trade by ensuring uniform standards across diverse member countries, thereby facilitating market integration, industrial competitiveness, and consumer protection.

Lassané Kaboré, ECOWAS Director of Industry, stressed in his opening remarks the dual benefits of harmonised standards:

“Guaranteeing safe products for consumers while boosting the competitiveness of local industries is our strategic priority. Uniform fortification standards help save lives and strengthen trade.”

UNICEF, a key partner in this effort, reinforced the urgency of tackling malnutrition at the forum. Mr. Siméon Nanama, UNICEF Regional Nutrition Advisor for West and Central Africa, highlighted large-scale food fortification as a “sustainable and scalable solution” capable of reaching vulnerable populations.

He applauded the exemplary collaboration between UNICEF and ECOWAS in this initiative and announced plans to develop standards specifically for complementary foods targeting infants and young children, an especially vulnerable group needing tailored nutritional interventions.

Expanding Beyond Food: Sectoral Committee Updates

In addition to food fortification, the Committee validated new leadership for other sectoral technical committees responsible for buildings and construction materials, textiles and clothing, and information and communication technologies.

This reorganisation, necessitated by some member states’ withdrawal, aims to maintain operational excellence across all standardisation efforts, ensuring quality and safety remain paramount throughout key economic sectors.

Ana Paula Spencer, President of the Institute for Quality Management and Intellectual Property (IGQPI), praised ECOWAS’s leadership in establishing a robust regional quality infrastructure. She noted that such frameworks are essential for fostering fair trade and consumer confidence, which in turn catalyse industrial growth.

West Africa faces multidimensional food security challenges exacerbated by climate change, population growth, conflict, and economic volatility. According to the 2025 UN report on food security and nutrition, the continent is among the regions where hunger and undernutrition continue to increase, undermining decades of development gains.

Food fortification, through adding essential vitamins and minerals to widely consumed staples, offers a practical intervention with proven success in many countries worldwide, including West African states. Ensuring these fortified foods meet consistent quality standards across borders is crucial for both health outcomes and regional trade.

From Standards to Impact

The validation of revised fortified food standards represents a strategic milestone on the path to a healthier West Africa. The imminent launch of standards for complementary infant foods will further consolidate nutrition security efforts, addressing critical developmental needs in early childhood.

Moreover, the Committee’s work underscores a fundamental truth: that improved nutritional outcomes hinge not only on health sector efforts but also on coordinated industrial policy and trade facilitation.

With these harmonised standards in place, ECOWAS member nations are better equipped to:

Protect consumers by reducing exposure to substandard or unsafe fortified foods.
Promote industrial growth through opening and harmonising markets.
Enhance public health by increasing the availability and accessibility of nutrient-rich staple foods.
Accelerate progress toward SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) by addressing micronutrient deficiencies at scale.

The ECOWAS Technical Committee’s recent validation session in Praia echoes a regional and global consensus on the power of food fortification as a backbone of nutrition security strategies. Supported by UNICEF and other partners, this initiative leverages science, policy, and economic integration to improve lives across West Africa.

As harmonised regional standards take root, they promise not only to save millions from the ravages of malnutrition but also to empower local industries and boost resilient economic development, embodying the region’s vision of shared prosperity and well-being.