West African Fortified Parboiled Unpolished Rice (WAFPUR) Project
The West African Fortified Parboiled Unpolished Rice (WAFPUR) Project is an initiative supported by the Rockefeller Foundation to improve nutrition and food security in Nigeria. By promoting the production and consumption of fortified parboiled unpolished rice (FPUR), the project seeks to address micronutrient deficiencies while creating economic opportunities for local rice processors.
Context
Nigeria faces a severe malnutrition crisis, with widespread deficiencies in essential micronutrients such as Vitamin A, Iron, Iodine, and Zinc—all identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as critical global nutritional risks. Malnutrition, particularly among school-aged children, contributes to stunted growth, weakened immune systems, and cognitive impairments, affecting long-term health and economic productivity. In addition, deficiencies in other essential micronutrients and related malnutrition outcomes remain high, with similarly adverse effects on health. The World Bank estimates that Nigeria loses over $1.5 billion of its GDP annually due to micronutrient deficiencies. Furthermore, according to the Global Burden of Disease Collaborative Network, low consumption of whole grains, such as Brown Rice/Parboiled Unpolished Rice, ranks as the second leading dietary risk factor contributing to annual deaths, following only excessive sodium intake.
Opportunity
The WAFPUR project presents a unique and timely opportunity to address the growing malnutrition challenges in Nigeria, especially given the current economic pressures. Rice, being the most widely consumed staple food in Nigeria—reaching up to 6.9 million metric tons annually—dominates the diets of many Nigerians, particularly those in lower socioeconomic brackets. However, with inflation and rising food prices, many individuals, especially those in these vulnerable groups, are resorting to the consumption of low-quality rice, including rejected rice.
This situation presents a critical opening for the WAFPUR project to promote Brown Rice (also known as Parboiled Unpolished Rice or PUR) as a more nutritious and cost-effective alternative to white rice. Not only is the cost of producing Brown Rice significantly lower than other rice varieties, but its health benefits are far superior, offering higher nutritional value with essential vitamins and minerals.
By leveraging existing School Feeding Programs in Kano and Ogun States, the WAFPUR project can improve dietary diversity, enhance the nutritional outcomes of school children, and create meaningful economic opportunities for local rice processors. Through this initiative, we can empower communities with a sustainable, nutritious, and affordable food source, while simultaneously improving public health and food security across the region.
The Strategy
The WAFPUR project aims to improve nutrition for Nigerians, especially school children, by increasing the production and consumption of Parboiled Unpolished Rice (PUR) while boosting local rice processors’ incomes. It will achieve this by leveraging institutional demand, particularly through School Feeding Programs, and sensitizing stakeholders on PUR’s benefits. Additionally, the project will explore market incentives and cost-neutral strategies to ensure PUR adoption, promoting better public health and economic growth.
The Project aims to address both nutritional and economic challenges in Nigeria by promoting the production and consumption of Parboiled Unpolished Rice (PUR) and subsequently, Fortified Parboiled Unpolished Rice (FPUR). The project has two primary objectives: impact and learning. The impact objective of the project seeks to elevate the incomes of local rice processors by increasing the production and consumption PUR/brown rice. By integrating Brown rice/PUR into School Feeding Programs in Kano and Ogun states, the project will improve dietary diversity, enhance school children’s nutrition, and create economic opportunities for local rice processors, ultimately contributing to improved public health and food security.
The learning objective focuses on three key research areas that will guide the project’s implementation. First, the project will assess consumer preferences for PUR to better understand demand and acceptance. Second, it will explore the incentives that encourage rice millers to adopt PUR production methods, ensuring sustainability and scalability. Finally, the project will identify and evaluate strategies to maintain a supply of PUR at affordable prices, ensuring it remains accessible to consumers without placing undue financial burdens on them. By addressing these areas, the WAFPUR Project aims to drive long-term, sustainable change, with plans for scale-up within the Nigerian rice sector.
By:
- Sensitizing rice stakeholders on the benefits of PUR and advocating for the adoption of PUR.
- Providing customized technical assistance to rice millers towards the production of high-quality PUR and facilitating linkages to institutional markets.
- Providing capacity building for food vendors and caterers within school feeding programs on food safety and hygiene practices, as well as adequate preparation techniques for PUR.
- Exploring additional institutional demand platforms for the scale-up of PUR consumption.
Results
The project aims to:
- Improve the nutritional status of up to 20,000 school children across Kano and Ogun states.
- Enhance economic opportunities for local rice millers and processors within implementation states.
- Increase production and consumption of PUR and FPUR.
Key achievements include:
- Stakeholder Engagement & Institutional Buy-In – Successfully secured government and industry support for introducing brown rice into Kano boarding schools, despite NHGSFP’s suspension.
- Positive Consumer Feedback – Sensory evaluations and cooking demonstrations have generated enthusiastic responses, with participants praising the taste, quality, and nutritional benefits of brown rice.
Moving forward, WAFPUR remains committed to scaling fortified rice production, strengthening market linkages, and expanding institutional partnerships to create a lasting impact on Nigeria’s food and nutrition landscape.
