By Rejoice Peterside
Team Europe has reaffirmed its support for NutriK’s efforts to strengthen local sourcing and expand nutrition production in Nigeria following a visit to the company’s manufacturing facility in Kano.
The delegation, led by the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, and comprising ambassadors and representatives of EU Member States as well as UNICEF, toured NutriK’s facility at the Kano Free Trade Zone as part of efforts to assess initiatives promoting nutrition, health, sustainable livelihoods and economic development in northern Nigeria.
NutriK, a French-Nigerian company and subsidiary of the France-based Nutriset Group, produces Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), a specialised nutritional product used to treat children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
Speaking during the visit, NutriK Managing Director, Abdoulkader Yonli, said the company is investing in local processing capacity and expects to begin using Nigerian-grown groundnuts in production within the coming months.
According to him, sourcing raw materials locally, including groundnuts and soya, will reduce production costs, increase output and create more opportunities across the agricultural value chain.
“Using locally grown groundnuts as well as soya will significantly reduce costs, enable us to expand production and positively impact farming, processing, distribution and employment,” Yonli said.
He added that NutriK remains committed to combating malnutrition through both treatment and prevention, noting that Nigeria currently has only two facilities producing RUTF, located in Kano and Lagos, while demand for the products remains higher than existing production capacity.
NutriK recently expanded and relocated to the Kano Free Trade Zone through financing provided by Proparco, the private-sector financing arm of the French Development Agency Group. The expansion is expected to strengthen local manufacturing and build more resilient nutrition supply chains.
The company currently employs 180 people directly, while many others benefit indirectly through farming, supply and logistics activities linked to its operations.
EU Ambassador Gautier Mignot said the facility demonstrates how investment, innovation and a supportive business environment can contribute to improved nutrition outcomes and economic growth.
“The products manufactured here are helping vulnerable children while showing how investment and innovation, supported by business-friendly policies, can drive human development and economic progress,” Mignot said.
He added that Team Europe remains committed to deepening collaboration with Kano State authorities, UNICEF and private sector partners to expand access to life-saving nutrition products and strengthen local industries.
According to UNICEF, an estimated two million children in Nigeria suffer from severe acute malnutrition, highlighting the urgent need for increased local production of therapeutic foods and stronger nutrition interventions across the country.
