FG moves to standardise Tom Brown production

The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMoHSW), in collaboration with nutrition stakeholders, has begun a three-day policy dialogue to develop a national framework for standardising the production, quality and nutritional content of Tom Brown in Nigeria.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Tom Brown is a complementary food made from roasted grains and legumes such as millet, sorghum, maize, soybeans and groundnuts.

Speaking at the opening of the meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, the Director and Head of the Nutrition Department at the ministry, Mrs Olufunmilola Adegbite, said malnutrition remained a major public health challenge in the country.

She said in spite of progress recorded through various nutrition interventions, undernutrition, especially stunting, wasting and micronutrient deficiencies, continued to threaten national development.

According to her, the ministry has prioritised food-based nutrition strategies and the promotion of locally available, nutrient-dense complementary foods.

“Tom Brown, a traditional complementary food made from a blend of cereals and legumes, has gained wide recognition for its potential to improve dietary intake among young children.

“However, its preparation methods, nutrient composition, hygiene standards, quality control measures and scalability remain inconsistent across the country.

“This meeting presents a critical opportunity to harmonise efforts and develop a national framework for the standardised production, quality assurance and implementation of Tom Brown.

“Our goal is to institutionalise this home-grown solution as an affordable, culturally acceptable complementary food for combating malnutrition and to provide clear technical guidance for households, small-scale producers, states and development partners,” she said.

Also speaking, Mr Akim Kikonda, Country Representative of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Nigeria, said the organisation had been supporting efforts to tackle malnutrition among children under five.

He said Tom Brown had demonstrated positive results in the recovery of moderately malnourished children.

Kikonda said the policy development process, which began with an initial dialogue in November 2025, had reached an advanced stage following extensive stakeholder consultations.

“We are here with stakeholders from the United Nations system, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), ministries, departments and agencies, among others.

“We want to ensure that all relevant stakeholders contribute to the process before the final draft framework is produced,” he said.

Mrs Nene Obianwu, Deputy Director, Standards Development Department, SON, said the agency was participating to ensure appropriate standards were incorporated into the framework.

“We are here to ensure consumer safety and quality assurance so that consumers receive value for what they pay for,” she said.

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NAN reports that development partners participating in the dialogue include the UNICEF, WHO, Save the Children, Helen Keller International, Action Against Hunger and the International Rescue Committee.

Participants were drawn from Borno, Jigawa, Katsina, Bayelsa and Ogun states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory