CAPPA hails FG’s healthy food procurement guidelines, urges full implementation

By Onu Okorie

Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has commended the Federal Government for launching the National Guidelines for Public Procurement of Food and Related Services, describing the policy as a major step towards improving nutrition and creating healthier food environments in public institutions across the country.

The guidelines, published in December 2025 and officially launched in Abuja on Monday, were developed by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning (FMBEP), relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), development partners, professional bodies and civil society organisations.

In a statement, CAPPA said the guidelines establish uniform nutrition standards for food purchased with public funds for schools and school feeding programmes, hospitals, correctional facilities, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camps, orphanages, internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, emergency shelters and other public institutions.

The policy restricts the procurement, sale and serving of sugar-sweetened beverages and drinks containing non-sugar sweeteners in public institutions, while setting limits for sodium, saturated fats and trans fats. It also promotes the consumption of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, encourages local sourcing of food and integrates food safety and nutrition standards into public procurement.

CAPPA noted that public food procurement in Nigeria had operated for years without uniform nutrition-focused standards, allowing cost and convenience to outweigh nutritional quality, with highly processed foods containing excessive sugar, salt and unhealthy fats commonly supplied in public institutions.

The organisation’s Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, described the guidelines as “a major milestone in Nigeria’s journey towards healthier food environments.”

According to him, government remains one of the country’s largest food purchasers, serving millions of meals daily through schools, hospitals, correctional facilities, NYSC camps, IDP camps and other public institutions.

“What government chooses to buy inevitably shapes what millions of Nigerians eat. The Guidelines recognise that public procurement is not just another purchasing activity but a powerful public health intervention,” he said.

CAPPA particularly welcomed the introduction of maximum sodium limits for processed and pre-packaged foods in line with the National Guidelines for Sodium Reduction, 2024.

Under the new standards, each adult meal must contain no more than 35 per cent of the recommended daily sodium intake, equivalent to 700 milligrams of sodium or 1.75 grams of salt, with adjusted limits for children and other population groups.

The guidelines also prohibit the procurement of partially hydrogenated oils and food products containing them, while requiring trans-fat content in food products to remain below two grams per 100 grams and to be clearly declared on product labels.

For retail outlets operating within public institutions, the policy encourages the display and affordability of healthier food options while discouraging the promotion of unhealthy products through menus and signage.

CAPPA also praised the provision requiring at least 30 per cent of institutional food procurement budgets to be spent on locally grown or produced foods supplied by smallholder farmers and community vendors, saying the measure would strengthen local food systems, improve nutrition and support rural livelihoods.

The organisation noted that the guidelines align Nigeria with global efforts to use public procurement as a tool for preventing diet-related diseases, drawing from the World Health Organisation’s Action Framework for Developing and Implementing Public Food Procurement and Service Policies for a Healthy Diet.

While applauding the Federal Government, CAPPA stressed that the policy’s success would depend on effective implementation.

The group urged the Bureau of Public Procurement to immediately establish the National Food Procurement Oversight Committee, as provided under the guidelines, to monitor compliance, investigate violations, report breaches and provide a platform for civil society participation and independent reporting.

It also called for the appointment of monitoring officers across public institutions, routine inspections, quarterly compliance reports, annual independent audits, the creation of a central compliance database and the publication of annual compliance reports.

“Launching the Guidelines is an important first step. The real measure of success will depend on how faithfully these standards are applied in everyday procurement and food service operations. Procurement officers, caterers, contractors and food service providers must receive the training and support required to comply,” Oluwafemi said.

CAPPA further urged public institutions at the federal, state and local government levels to align their procurement processes, contracts, menus and food service operations with the new standards, saying consistent implementation would determine whether the guidelines translate into healthier meals for millions of Nigerians.

The organisation also congratulated the BPP, FMBEP, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, development partners, including Resolve to Save Lives and the Global Health Advocacy Incubator, professional bodies and civil society organisations that contributed to developing the guidelines.

It pledged to continue supporting implementation through research, public education, stakeholder engagement and independent monitoring.