Nigeria has launched a new National Guideline on Public Procurement of Food and Related Services, establishing nutrition best practices for food procured, prepared, and served in public institutions to support healthier diets and create healthier food environments across the country.
The guideline developed through a multi-sectoral process led by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, with technical support from Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL), aims to ensure that food purchased with public funds supports healthier diets and aligns with national health and nutrition priorities. It also strengthens Nigeria’s broader efforts to prevent diet-related non-communicable diseases.
Speaking at the launch in Abuja, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, highlighted the growing burden of diet-related non-communicable diseases as a major public health challenge. He noted that unhealthy diets contribute to an estimated 7.2 million deaths globally each year and that Nigerians consume almost twice the World Health Organization’s recommended daily sodium intake, emphasizing the need for stronger action to improve diets and create healthier food environments.
Also speaking, RTSL Nigeria Executive Director, Nanlop Ogbureke, commended the Government of Nigeria for its leadership in developing the guideline, saying it reflects the country’s commitment to preventing non-communicable diseases through evidence-based, systems-focused approaches. She described the guideline as “a transformative policy instrument that places health at the center of public food procurement,” and “demonstrates how policy can be used to create healthier food environments and make healthy choices easier, more accessible and more affordable for citizens.”
With the Guideline now launched, the next phase will focus on supporting public institutions in translating the guideline into action. RTSL will continue working with the government and partners to support its implementation through technical assistance, evidence generation, stakeholder engagement and collaboration.
