The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has sealed the facilities of some food manufacturing companies in Nigeria after discovering poorly fortified vegetable oil and salt products in the market.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The action followed laboratory tests which revealed that 12 per cent of vegetable oil samples and two per cent of salt samples failed to meet the required standards for the addition of essential vitamins and minerals.

The FCCPC’s Executive Vice Chairman, Tunji Bello, disclosed this on Thursday while presenting the findings of a two-month market survey conducted in collaboration with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN).

The survey was designed to determine whether food manufacturers were complying with Nigeria’s food fortification policy, which requires producers to enrich commonly consumed food products with essential nutrients to prevent nutritional deficiencies.

A total of 200 samples were examined, comprising 100 vegetable oil products and 100 salt products collected from households and open markets across northern and southern Nigeria.

The laboratory results showed that 12 out of every 100 vegetable oil samples and two out of every 100 salt samples contained insufficient levels of the required micronutrients.

The investigation also raised concerns over the labelling of vegetable oil products, revealing that many were being sold without proper branding.

Of the 100 vegetable oil samples tested, 49 were unbranded, while 51 carried identifiable brand names.

The survey further highlighted poor participation by manufacturers in digital systems designed to monitor the quality of fortified food products from production to consumption.

According to the findings, only six vegetable oil manufacturers had registered on GAIN’s Digital Fortification Quality Traceability Plus platform, while just three companies had uploaded a combined eight product test results.

Speaking on the findings, Bello explained that food fortification was a mandatory public health policy aimed at reducing nutrient deficiencies by adding essential vitamins and minerals to widely consumed products.

These nutrients include vitamin A, iron, folic acid, zinc and iodine.

He maintained that Nigerians deserved to receive the nutritional benefits advertised by manufacturers whenever they purchased food products.

Bello noted that consumer protection goes beyond resolving complaints and preventing misleading business practices, stressing that it also involves ensuring that consumers receive the quality and health benefits they pay for.

He disclosed that the FCCPC had issued compliance directives to manufacturers whose products or operations fell below the required standards.

The commission also warned that every batch of food released into the market must comply with established quality and safety requirements.

Bello added that the survey findings had been forwarded to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for further regulatory action.

He said the move was part of an existing agreement between both agencies to strengthen consumer protection and ensure compliance with food safety regulations.

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday received a delegation of leaders from Nigeria’s Middle Belt region at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The meeting was confirmed by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, who shared photographs of the gathering on his X account.

Speaking to State House correspondents after the meeting, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, who was part of the delegation, said the group visited to express appreciation to Tinubu and pledge their support for his re-election bid in 2027.

Dogara said the delegation acknowledged what it described as improvements in security across the Middle Belt since Tinubu assumed office, alongside other developmental gains.

“Insecurity is declining in the Middle Belt. The Abuja-Kaduna road is safer now,” he said.

He added that discussions also focused on strengthening political cooperation and mobilising support for the President within their respective communities ahead of the presidential election scheduled for January 16, 2027.

Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, also described the growing cooperation among people from different ethnic and religious backgrounds as encouraging.

According to him, young leaders across religious and ethnic divides are increasingly engaging in conversations about the region’s future without waiting for government intervention.

“Youth leaders across the divides of faith and ethnicity are beginning to have conversations without even government support. This is quite encouraging to me that there is light at the end of the tunnel,” Mutfwang said.

Other members of the delegation included Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.); Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas; and former Chiefs of Army Staff, Generals T.Y. Danjuma and Ishaya Bamaiyi (retd.).

Thomas Etuh and Dr Poju Bitrus were also among those who attended the meeting.

Barcelona captain Raphinha has reiterated his commitment to putting the club’s success ahead of personal recognition, insisting that individual awards will never take priority over the team’s interests.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶