Fortifying Futures: West Africa’s Game-Changing Innovators
Micronutrient deficiency, often called “hidden hunger”, is one of the greatest public health challenges of our time, with women and children disproportionately affected across Africa. In West Africa alone, around 75 million people faced undernutrition in 2024 (FAO SOFI 2025), underscoring the urgent need for sustainable solutions.
The Fortify Forward Innovation Challenge (FFIC), led by GAIN and partners, is shining a spotlight on homegrown innovators who are tackling this crisis head-on.
FFIC is a transformative regional competition designed to help combat hidden hunger and tackle malnutrition in all its forms, while improving public health in Africa. Organised by the LSFF, Biofortification, and Nutrition Connect teams at GAIN, and supported by partners, The Waterloo Foundation, Funguo Program by United Nations Development Programme-Tanzania, DSM-Firmenich, NMB Foundation, Alliance of Biodiversity & CIAT, and University of Abomey Calavi-Benin; this competition is part of our larger effort to improve the nutritional quality of foods throughout the food value chain in East and West Africa.
Through food fortification and biofortification, proven, cost-effective strategies, these changemakers are developing practical, culturally relevant, and scalable solutions to make nutritious diets more accessible and affordable.
From fortifying everyday staples like maize flour and cooking oil to leveraging local crops and new technologies, the FFIC 2025 West Africa winners are rewriting the story of nutrition in the region. Their ideas go beyond science and technology; they represent resilience, entrepreneurship, and the power of partnerships to transform food systems.
Meet the bold innovators who are shaping a healthier, fortified future for millions.
1. Cynthia Adams – Biofortified Vitamin A Maize Products (Nigeria)
Cynthia works with 150 rural women farmers to grow vitamin A biofortified maize and process it into flour, cereals, and snacks that fight malnutrition among children and adults. This innovation boosts public health and empowers women in Northern Nigeria.
Watch the Interview:
2. Theresa A. Awotundun – Folate-Enriched Iru (Nigeria)
Theresa fortifies fermented African locust beans (Iru) with folate (Vitamin B9), addressing a neglected micronutrient deficiency. This affordable solution uses a food staple commonly eaten by rural and urban communities.
Watch the Interview:
3. Yetunde Adegbitte – Carro Nutra Carrot Fortification (Nigeria)
Yetunde’s Carro Nutra innovation turns carrots into nutrient-rich, shelf-stable powder, reducing post-harvest losses and making it easy for families to enrich meals. This solution nourishes children while empowering local farmers.
Watch the Interview:
4. Endurance Awolowo – Mineral Absorption Enhancement (Nigeria)
Endurance’s solution improves the bioavailability of iron, calcium, and folate in diets based on climate-resilient grains like millet. By addressing phytic acid interference, this innovation ensures nutrients in everyday foods are absorbed.
Watch the Interview:
5. Victor Enyojo Agi – FortiCart Mobile Fortification (Nigeria)
Victor developed FortiCart, a mobile food fortification unit that delivers fortified products to last-mile communities. This solution ensures that even remote populations can access better nutrition.
Watch the Interview:
6. Ini Jimmy – Palm School E-Learning for Farmers (Nigeria)
Ini’s Palm School is a multilingual e-learning platform that trains farmers to adopt biofortified crops. By making agriculture tech-driven and youth-friendly, this solution promotes nutrition from the ground up.
Watch the Interview:
7. Noua Gbemisola – Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato for Vitamin A (Benin)
Noua’s project leverages orange-fleshed sweet potatoes to fight vitamin A deficiency among children and women. The solution integrates biofortified crops into school meals, improving nutrition for the most vulnerable.
Watch the Interview:
8. Eddy Alladahoninon – Iodized Leafy Vegetables (Benin)
Eddy fortifies leafy vegetables with iodized salt, addressing iodine deficiency while increasing the value of perishable produce. This innovation also promotes awareness and quality control.
Watch the Interview:
9. Wilfried L. Yehouessi – Fortified Tomato Purée (Benin)
Wilfried’s team enriches tomato purée with vitamin A, turning a common household staple into a source of essential nutrients. This innovation is practical, scalable, and culturally relevant.
Watch the Interview:
10. Aston
Watch the Interview:
11. Erich
Watch the Interview:
12. Aime
Watch the Interview:
The Road Ahead
These innovators are showing that homegrown solutions can transform nutrition in West Africa. From fortified everyday foods to cutting-edge technology and farmer education, they are leading the charge against hidden hunger.
Explore all FFIC winners and their innovations on our FFIC page.
A Healthier Future, Powered by Local Solutions
As the FFIC concluded, one truth emerged clearly: Africa is not just participating in the global nutrition movement; it is leading it. The sustainability that empowering local food producers and SMEs to adopt fortification would bring forth, coupled with building long-term resilience, is definitely worth fighting for. These innovators are showing that real solutions come from the ground up, where policy meets passion, science meets storytelling, and culture meets health.
In an era where global food systems are under pressure, the Fortify Forward Innovation Challenge offers a blueprint for what works: smart policies, strong partnerships, scalable innovation, and community-rooted leadership. As we move toward achieving SDG 2: Zero Hunger, these efforts remind us that the path forward is fortified with local ideas, local ownership, and global relevance.
The future of nutrition in Africa is not just hopeful, it is already here.