HURIWA urges NASS to withdraw nutritionists’ council bill

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has urged the National Assembly to withdraw a proposed bill seeking to establish the Nutritionists Registration Council of Nigeria, warning that it could marginalise indigenous food knowledge and create legal uncertainty around traditional nutritional practices.

HURIWA said the bill, sponsored by Chike Okafor, a member of the House of Representatives representing Ehime Mbano/Ihitte Uboma/Obowo Federal Constituency, requires a fundamental reconsideration because of its proposed regulatory powers and the absence of adequate safeguards for traditional and family-based nutritional knowledge.

The association made the call in a statement issued on Friday by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko.

Mr Onwubiko said the bill should be withdrawn pending transparent and inclusive consultations involving nutrition experts, traditional knowledge holders, farmers, public health professionals, civil society organisations and affected communities.

He said Nigerian communities had developed extensive knowledge of local foods, seasonal diets, food preservation, fermentation, medicinal plants, breastfeeding and complementary feeding long before the emergence of formal nutritional science.

The national coordinator argued that the bill does not adequately protect these practices or clearly distinguish professional nutritional services from ordinary family guidance and the transmission of traditional knowledge.

“HURIWA considers the Bill, in its present form, a deeply troubling legislative proposal that threatens to place Nigeria’s indigenous food knowledge, traditional nutritional practices and community-based systems of learning under the shadow of an overcentralised statutory regulator,” Mr Onwubiko said.

He called for the immediate withdrawal of the bill pending a comprehensive national consultation involving relevant professionals and communities.

Mr Onwubiko said the association was not opposed to professional standards, scientific research or the regulation of qualified nutrition practitioners.

However, he argued that the proposed legislation could create an overcentralised regulatory structure that undermines Nigeria’s indigenous food heritage.

“This is not a rejection of professional standards, scientific research or the legitimate regulation of qualified nutrition practitioners. It is a principled rejection of legislation that seeks to establish sweeping regulatory powers over nutrition without first guaranteeing the protection of Nigeria’s cultural heritage, indigenous knowledge systems and the everyday food practices through which generations of Nigerians have sustained their families and communities,” he added.

HURIWA also called for greater transparency regarding provisions of the bill covering international collaboration, recognition of foreign qualifications, approval of training institutions outside Nigeria, and the receipt of grants, endowments and donations by the proposed council.

The association specifically identified Sections 3, 14, 17 and 32 as requiring more scrutiny, stating that the bill should contain stronger safeguards for transparency and public oversight of external funding.

However, it cautioned against treating international cooperation or foreign funding as evidence of wrongdoing.

HURIWA urged the bill’s sponsors to disclose the consultations and research that informed the proposal and clarify whether foreign organisations, donors or commercial interests participated in developing or promoting the proposed regulatory framework.

The association maintained that Nigerians were entitled to understand the evidence underpinning the proposed regulatory structure and the measures intended to prevent potential conflicts of interest.

The opposition to the bill is the second public rejection of the proposed regulatory framework by groups concerned about its implications for nutrition practice in Nigeria.

The Dietitians Council of Nigeria had previously opposed the proposal, raising concerns about its implications for the regulation of nutrition-related professions and the existing framework governing dietetic practice.

HURIWA’s position highlights the need to clarify the distinction between dietitians and nutritionists, their respective professional responsibilities and the regulatory arrangements governing their practice.

While dietitians are trained to provide medical nutrition therapy and manage diet-related health conditions, nutritionists generally focus on nutrition education, dietary guidance and public health nutrition, although their roles may overlap depending on their training and specialisation.