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The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) convened a three-day regional workshop in Lagos, Nigeria, to accelerate the development of National Food System-Based Dietary Guidelines (NFSDGs) aimed at combating malnutrition and chronic diseases across its 15 member states.
Held from March 26–28, 2025, the event brought together nutrition experts, policymakers, and organizations like the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement to align strategies for integrating nutrition into agricultural and food security policies.
The workshop focused on assessing current dietary challenges, sharing best practices for crafting localized dietary recommendations, and training stakeholders in methodologies to design guidelines tailored to regional food systems. Participants emphasized the need for guidelines that reflect local crops, cultural preferences, and nutritional gaps, particularly to protect vulnerable populations. A roadmap was established to support member states in finalizing and adopting these frameworks by 2026.
ECOWAS’s initiative aligns with its Regional Agenda for Strengthening Nutrition, which seeks to ensure access to diverse, nutrient-rich diets amid rising rates of stunting, anemia, and obesity in West Africa. The dietary guidelines will serve as a tool to educate populations, shape school feeding programs, and influence agricultural investments to prioritize nutrient-dense crops like millet, sorghum, and leafy greens.
Bridging Policy and Practice
West Africa faces a dual burden of malnutrition: undernutrition affects 28% of children under five, while obesity rates among adults have tripled in urban areas over the past decade. The push for NFSDGs mirrors global efforts, such as Brazil’s widely praised dietary guidelines, which link food choices to sustainability and cultural relevance. However, ECOWAS’s approach must contend with fragmented food systems, climate-driven crop failures, and reliance on imported processed foods.
The SUN Movement’s involvement signals a coordinated strategy to leverage existing networks, but challenges persist. For instance, Nigeria’s 2023 National Dietary Guidelines faced delays due to conflicting stakeholder interests, highlighting the complexity of harmonizing regional priorities. Success will depend on securing government buy-in, funding for nutrition education, and aligning agricultural subsidies with health objectives.
Historically, top-down dietary campaigns in the region have struggled with implementation. The ECOWAS roadmap’s emphasis on local adaptation—such as incorporating indigenous grains in Sahelian countries or fish-based diets in coastal states—could enhance compliance. Yet, without enforceable benchmarks and cross-border data sharing, progress may remain uneven.
As global food prices fluctuate and climate shocks intensify, ECOWAS’s guidelines could offer a blueprint for resilience. If adopted widely, they may not only improve health outcomes but also strengthen regional food sovereignty—a critical step as West Africa navigates the competing demands of population growth and sustainable development.
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