The National Food Consumption and Micronutrient Survey (NFCMS) is a crucial tool for monitoring the nutritional status of various populations—including women of reproductive age, pregnant and lactating women, children, and adolescent girls—guiding evidence-based policy and programmatic interventions to address malnutrition, hunger, and poverty. In Nigeria, USAID Advancing Nutrition is working with partners to produce the final report on the most recent NFCMS conducted in 2021.

We collaborated with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) to host a two-week preliminary workshop in March 2023, to analyze data from the NFCMS. The goal of the workshop was to assess available datasets, address stakeholder comments on the preliminary report, and determine necessary changes due to revised survey weights and wealth quintiles.

Following this initial workshop, a 5-day data analysis workshop was held to present the preliminary results to other stakeholders and Nigerian government officials. The discussions during this second workshop covered a range of topics including specific micronutrient deficiencies, ready-to-use therapeutic food coverage, iodine toxicity, fortification with micronutrients, and other relevant data. Workshop participants recommended that the government spearhead future research and leverage local expertise, and advised that stakeholders be educated on data interpretation. USAID Advancing Nutrition will continue to support the production of the final report by hosting a report writing workshop tentatively scheduled for June 2023.