Nutritionists’ Council Bill: Coalition alleges foreign interests, demands probe

An Abuja-based coalition of civil society organisations has called for the withdrawal of the proposed Nutritionists Registration Council of Nigeria Bill, 2025, pending an independent investigation into alleged foreign interests behind the legislation.

The coalition, comprising three civil society platforms, said intelligence available to it suggested that interests in Europe and the United States might be supporting efforts to advance the bill sponsored by Hon. Chike John Okafor.

However, the group acknowledged that the allegation had not been independently verified, stressing the need for a transparent investigation into the funding, institutional relationships and interests associated with the proposed legislation.

In a statement dated October 24, 2026, and signed by its leader, Comrade Amina Mohammed, the coalition said the controversy raised broader concerns about Nigeria’s food sovereignty, indigenous agricultural heritage and the country’s ability to determine its food policies independently.

It urged the National Assembly to suspend further consideration of the bill until the concerns were addressed through transparent investigations and comprehensive public consultations.

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The group expressed concern that establishing a powerful regulatory council without adequate safeguards could marginalise indigenous nutritional knowledge and potentially create opportunities for commercial interests to influence Nigeria’s food policies.

It cited ongoing public debates surrounding Nigeria’s approval of genetically modified crops, including concerns about biosafety, biodiversity, seed ownership and farmers’ independence.

The coalition, however, clarified that these concerns did not establish foreign interference in the proposed legislation.

It called for the disclosure of any relationships between the bill’s promoters and international biotechnology, agricultural or food industry interests.

The group also sought clarification on those involved in drafting and promoting the legislation, the sources of funding, the institutions that provided advice, and the safeguards proposed to prevent conflicts of interest.

“Nigeria must not import its food priorities or surrender control of its indigenous food systems to undisclosed interests,” the coalition said.

Group Warns Against Marginalising Indigenous Knowledge

The coalition also raised concerns that the bill’s registration requirements and penalties could create uncertainty for traditional and community-based nutritional knowledge if the boundaries of regulated professional practice were not clearly defined.

According to the group, generations of Nigerians have preserved knowledge of indigenous crops, food preparation, fermentation and traditional diets, which it said deserved scientific evaluation where appropriate rather than indiscriminate exclusion or criminalisation.

It maintained that professional regulation should not become a mechanism for monopolising knowledge belonging to Nigerian communities.

The coalition stressed that it supported scientific nutrition and reasonable professional regulation but insisted that such measures should not undermine cultural heritage, farmers’ livelihoods or national independence.

The coalition outlined six demands, including the immediate withdrawal of the Nutritionists Registration Council of Nigeria Bill, 2025, pending a comprehensive review.

It called for an independent investigation into the allegations of foreign involvement, with the findings made public, as well as full disclosure of the bill’s funding sources, consultations and institutional contributors.

Other demands included explicit safeguards against conflicts of interest and external influence over national nutritional policies, legal protection for indigenous food knowledge and traditional practices, and meaningful participation by farmers, independent scientists, public health experts, consumers and civil society in any future legislative process.

The group urged lawmakers to halt further consideration of the bill until the issues had been transparently addressed.

It reiterated that Nigerians should retain the right to determine what they grow, produce and consume, while calling for the protection of the country’s indigenous food heritage.

The statement was issued by the Abuja Coalition of Civil Society Organisations, comprising the Transparency Initiative for Good Governance, African Centre for Cultural Right