Godsent Ogbebor
Lagos State Government has begun training rice millers and regulatory agencies on fortified rice production as the global fortified rice market is projected to reach $38.4 billion by 2035.
The three-day training in Lagos is aimed at positioning the state’s rice industry to benefit from the growing market while improving the nutritional quality of rice consumed in Nigeria.
According to Future Market Insights, the global fortified rice market was valued at $22.5 billion in 2025 and is expected to reach $38.4 billion by 2035, representing a compound annual growth rate of 5.5 per cent.
The opportunity comes as Nigeria’s rice consumption continues to grow. The United States Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service forecasts Nigeria’s rice consumption at 8.6 million metric tonnes in the 2025/26 marketing year, up five per cent from 8.2 million tonnes projected for the previous year.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture and Food Systems, Dr Oluwarotimi Fashola, said the high level of rice consumption in the country provided an opportunity to improve nutrition through fortification.
“Rice is the singular food product that best reaches everybody, from the youngest to the oldest,” Fashola said.
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He said fortified rice could provide essential micronutrients, particularly to children and young people, through a staple food consumed by a large proportion of the population.
Fashola said rice fortification remained at an early stage in Nigeria, noting that only about six rice mills currently had the capacity to fortify rice.
“Rice fortification is still in its infancy. There are only about six rice mills that have the capacity for fortification across Nigeria,” he said.
He called for increased capacity, awareness and consumption of fortified rice.
Lagos State has introduced Eko Fortified Rice alongside Eko Rice Farm Fresh and Eko Rice Classic. The fortified product contains micronutrients including iron, folic acid and vitamin B12.
The state launched its rice fortification plant and Fortified Eko Rice at the Lagos State Rice Mill in Imota, Ikorodu, in November 2025.
The Deputy Director and Head of the Food and Agriculture Group, Standards Development Department, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Mrs Nene Obianwu, said adherence to standards was essential to maintaining product quality and consumer confidence.
She said the standards would help ensure consistency among fortified rice products produced by different mills.
“The standard helps you to get it right. It helps you maintain consistency so that you do not deteriorate,” she said.
The Project Manager, Promoting Rice Fortification in Nigeria (PRiFN), TechnoServe, Seun Elere, said the drive for rice fortification had been strengthened by concerns over anaemia and micronutrient deficiencies.
He urged participants to apply the knowledge gained from the training, improve quality control and comply with regulatory requirements.
TechnoServe, in collaboration with the World Food Programme, is implementing the PRiFN project to increase the adoption of rice fortification among rice millers and processors and promote the consumption of fortified rice in Nigeria.
The project supports rice mills with equipment, technical assistance and fortification inputs, with the aim of improving nutrition, particularly among vulnerable populations.
