Nestlé Nigeria Plc, the leading nutrition, health and wellness multinational company has disclosed that it made more than N43.9 billion as income on MAGGI brand alone in Nigeria in the year 2012 going by the N2 retail price for MAGGI in the Nigerian market,
The company said it owes the country a responsibility to make positive impacts on the local consumers’ diet, especially for lower income consumers.
Speaking at MAGGI Women’s forum in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital at the weekend, Nestlé Category Business Manager (Culinary), Guy Kellaway said the company, having discovered the nation’s widespread micronutrient deficiencies, fortified its MAGGI cubes with iron and iodine in order to help reduce micronutrient deficiencies in Nigeria and on a global scale.
Kellaway, who disclosed that the company discovered that MAGGI was a staple part of many lower income consumers’ diets in Nigeria, said there was no better way to solve the problem posed by these micronutrient deficiencies among Nigerians, especially pregnant women and young children which, according to research, are more vulnerable to iron deficiency, adding that Nestlé is collaborating with scientists on a global and regional level to fortify appropriate food products according to local needs.
“MAGGI is a staple part of many lower income consumers’ diets in Nigeria. If you look at the number of MAGGI Cubes Nestlé sells every day, there is enormous potential and responsibility for us to make a positive impact on local consumers’ diets. Already fortified with iodine, more than 60 million cubes were sold every day in Nigeria in 2012,” Kellaway said.
“The fortification of commonly consumed food products such as bouillon cubes, flour, and sugar has been shown to help improve micronutrient deficiency status of a population. There is not one solution to the deficiency problem. The introduction of iron fortified MAGGI Cube must be accompanied by a multi-sector, sustainable and long term approach,” he said.
“In some countries in Central and West Africa up to 90 percent of children are anemic. In Nigeria, the problem affects more than three quarters of pre-school-age children. Young children and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to iron deficiency because they need higher levels of the mineral for growth and development.
Nestlé therefore collaborates with scientists on a global and regional level to fortify appropriate food products according to local needs”, Kellaway concluded.
Also speaking, the Wife of Oyo State Governor and the First Lady, Florence Ajimobi lauded Nestlé in its effort to ensure that the problems posed by the micronutrient deficiencies in Nigeria are solved through the consumption of its products, especially MAGGI brand, which is a staple part of many lower income consumers’ diets in the country. Ajimobi said that MAGGI Women’s forum organised by Nestlé Nigeria Plc to empower women on good nutrition, health and wellness would influence Oyo state and its communities in healthy living, home management, nutrition, cookery and resourcefulness through adequately nutritious and sustainable meals, adding that the forum will be replicated in all 33 Local Government areas that make up Oyo state.
RAZAQ AYINLA
