Abuja: The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has announced plans to standardise the production of Tom Brown in an effort to address Nigeria’s high malnutrition rates and improve child nutrition nationwide.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Tom Brown, a nutritious food made from roasted cereals and legumes such as maize, millet, soybeans, and groundnuts, is valued for its affordability and nutritional benefits. Mrs Ladidi Bako-Aiyegbusi, Director of the Nutrition Department, highlighted the urgent need for unified standards during a two-day Stakeholders Meeting in Abuja. The meeting, aimed at reviewing the Draft National Guidelines on Tom Brown Production, was organised with the support of Catholic Relief Services (CRS).
Bako-Aiyegbusi emphasized the necessity of developing national guidelines to ensure the quality, consistency, safety, and scalability of Tom Brown production across the country. The meeting included representatives from various state Ministries to ensure the guidelines align with local needs. She noted that some states, like Borno and Kano, are already exploring large-scale production opportunities, which could generate income for communities.
Tom Brown’s enrichment with ingredients such as crayfish and soybeans makes it a vital component in improving complementary feeding for low-income households. Bako-Aiyegbusi pointed out the insufficiency of nutrients from breast milk alone after six months of age and encouraged parents to enrich family foods instead of opting for expensive packaged meals.
Addressing malnutrition, she cited the 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, which reports a ‘triple burden’ of 40 percent stunting, 8 percent wasting, and 27 percent underweight among children, with stagnant breastfeeding rates at 29 percent. She also mentioned that three companies are now certified to produce ready-to-use therapeutic foods for children suffering from severe malnutrition.
CRS Nigeria Country Representative, Mr Akim Kikonda, stated that the meeting represents a significant step towards improving child nutrition and reducing dependency on costly imported supplements. He compared the cost of Tom Brown, between N72,000 and N96,000 per child for eight weeks, to imported alternatives costing up to N360,000 for the same period.
Mr Wilson Kipchoech, Emergency Coordinator at CRS Nigeria, highlighted the effectiveness of Tom Brown in managing malnutrition, noting its implementation in North-East Nigeria since 2015 and recent expansion to Sokoto. He expressed optimism about the meeting leading to a unified policy framework and welcomed government efforts to standardise production practices.