For decades, maize has been the Nigeria’s most consumed staple, eaten in forms ranging from tuwo and pap to roasted or boiled corn on the roadside. Yet, despite this dietary reliance a persistent exists a vitamin A deficiency, which affects millions of children and women, weakening immunity, impairing vision, and increasing vulnerability to disease.
To address this, HarvestPlus and its partners introduced vitamin A maize (VAM), a biofortified crop developed through conventional breeding to contain higher levels of vitamin A. This single innovation has become a game-changer in Nigeria’s fight against hidden hunger.
A Decade of Progress: From Pilot to Nationwide Scale
The story of scaling vitamin A maize in Nigeria is a testament to persistence, innovation, and partnerships. What began as a pilot effort in the early 2010s has blossomed into one of the largest and most impactful biofortification success stories worldwide.
Approximately 2 million Nigerian farmers now cultivate vitamin A maize, benefiting over 65 million who consume it. This includes nearly 18 million people who grow it on their own farms and over 47 million who are eating by purchasing it from the market.
This success did not happen by chance. It is the result of a deliberate, evidence-based scaling strategy by HarvestPlus and partners — one that combines science, policy, market systems, and community engagement.
The Science Behind the Seed
The foundation of this journey is rooted in the breeding of vitamin A-enriched maize varieties. Through close collaboration with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and national partners, HarvestPlus supported the development and release of over 20 climate-smart vitamin A maize varieties, specifically adapted to Nigeria’s diverse agro-ecological zones.
These varieties are not only nutrient-dense but also high-yielding, disease-resistant, and climate-smart — ensuring that farmers do not have to choose between better nutrition and productivity.
“Biofortified crops must compete on the same grounds as conventional varieties,” explains a Yusuf Dolla, HarvestPlus Nigeria country manager. “Farmers will only adopt what grows well, sells well, and feeds well.”
Strengthening the Seed System
Scaling up vitamin A maize meant ensuring that every interested farmer could access high-quality seed. HarvestPlus worked with national seed agencies, seed companies, and agro-dealers to strengthen seed production and distribution systems.
From providing early-generation seed to training seed producers and establishing quality control mechanisms, these efforts built a sustainable supply chain. Today, several seed companies in Nigeria actively produce and market vitamin A maize seed, ensuring availability to farmers at the start of each planting season.
To protect the integrity of the product, HarvestPlus also supported the development of minimum standards for vitamin A maize seed — a milestone policy initiative endorsed by the government. These standards help prevent mislabeling of regular yellow maize as vitamin A maize and reinforce consumer and farmer confidence.
Creating Demand and Awareness
Having good seed is only half the journey; people must also want to grow and eat the crop. To drive adoption, HarvestPlus engaged farmers, women’s groups, processors, and consumers through awareness campaigns, food fairs, and cooking demonstrations.
Extension agents and Women in Agriculture (WIA) groups played a crucial role in teaching communities about the health benefits of vitamin A maize and how to prepare it in traditional dishes. Recipe trainings helped mothers and food vendors appreciate that vitamin A maize retains its flavor and color while offering additional nutrition.
Local processors were mobilized to produce and market vitamin A maize-based products, such as pap, flour, corn flakes, and snacks, helping to normalize its presence in both markets and homes.
This community-centered approach helped overcome early skepticism. What once was seen as “yellow maize” is now recognized as a valuable food for health and family wellbeing.
Building Market Systems for Sustainability
True scaling requires more than seed and awareness. It demands functioning markets. HarvestPlus and partners prioritized commercialization pathways to ensure that vitamin A maize grain moves efficiently from farm to fork.
Through partnerships with seed companies, processors, and small businesses, HarvestPlus built an ecosystem where biofortified maize is part of normal agricultural commerce.
Processors now purchase vitamin A maize grain for flour milling and fortification, while small entrepreneurs — particularly women — earn income from selling value-added products. This not only drives rural livelihoods but also sustains demand for nutritious maize across the country.
Policy Support and Government Engagement
Policy has been another pillar of Nigeria’s vitamin a maize scaling journey. HarvestPlus worked with government ministries, the National Agricultural Seeds Council, and regulatory agencies to embed biofortification into national policies related to agriculture, nutrition, and food systems.
Government endorsement has created a favorable environment for public-private collaboration, ensuring that biofortified crops are part of Nigeria’s long-term strategy for combating malnutrition and promoting food security.
The Next Frontier
Having reached over 65 million Nigerians, HarvestPlus is deepening its efforts across five strategic fronts:
- Expanding Seed Access: Increasing the number of seed companies producing certified vitamin A maize seed and improving last-mile distribution through agro-dealer networks.
- Enhancing Farmer Training: Strengthening the capacity of extension agents and community resource persons to support farmers with agronomic and post-harvest practices.
- Boosting Consumer Awareness: Using radio, digital media, and community outreach to continue changing perceptions and promoting products made with vitamin A maize.
- Engaging the Private Sector: Encouraging food processors and retailers to source, process, and brand products made with vitamin A maize, expanding market demand.
- Strengthening Policy Frameworks: Ensuring biofortified crops remain prioritized in agricultural, nutrition, and seed sector strategies.
This holistic approach is positioning Nigeria as a continental leader in mainstreaming biofortified crops into national food systems.
Transforming Lives Through Nutrition and Economic Empowerment
The impact of this work extends far beyond yield statistics. Every bowl of pap made with vitamin A maize represents a healthier child with better immunity. Every family that adopts the seed contributes to breaking the cycle of malnutrition that has long plagued rural communities.
For smallholder farmers, vitamin A maize also offers economic opportunities — higher yields, market premiums, and growing consumer demand. For women entrepreneurs, it’s a pathway to income and empowerment.
Ultimately, the journey of scaling vitamin A maize in Nigeria is a powerful example of how science, partnerships, and community action can come together to transform food systems — making nutrition accessible, affordable, and sustainable for all.
As Nigeria advances toward its goal ensuring availability of nutritious staple crops, the message is clear: nutritious food is not a luxury — it is a right. Through collaboration and innovation, HarvestPlus and its partners are proving that the solution to hidden hunger can be grown from the ground up, one seed at a time.
