GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR IMPROVED NUTRITION (GAIN)
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS CREATIVE AGENCY REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS & CREATIVE BRIEF FOR THE THIRD-PARTY ADVOCACY CAMPAIGN ON FOOD FORTIFICATION COMPLIANCE IN NIGERIA
DEADLINE: DECEMBER 11, 2020
The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is a global, Swiss-based foundation that mobilises public- private partnerships and provides financial and technical support to deliver nutritious foods. Working with partners, GAIN aims to make healthier food choices more affordable, more available, and desirable.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this RFP is to engage the services of a Service Provider to develop the campaign strategy, creative approach, and media campaign. These inputs will support the execution of a third-party advocacy strategy for strengthening governance and accountability on large-scale food fortification in Nigeria. The third-party advocates (individuals and organizations) will be engaged to provide a voice for consumers targeting relevant decision-makers, government, and business.
Large-scale Food Fortification (LSFF) has been universally recognized as a cost-effective strategy for addressing micronutrient malnutrition. Nigeria has a long-standing history of food fortification, having mandated iodization of salt since 1992 and fortification of wheat flour, maize flour, vegetable oil, and sugar since 2002.
In Nigeria, GAIN is working through its Large-Scale Food Fortification (LSFF) program to ensure that adequately fortified food products reach consumers. However, recent studies have revealed that many of the food products available in markets are not fortified to the required standard. Hence, those that are fortified must compete with their unfortified or falsely labelled counterparts in the market. This situation exposes consumers to sustained deprivation of essential nutrients and contributes to Nigeria’s high malnutrition level.
Consumers are most likely to purchase what they can afford and find in the marketplace. While consumers must identify fortified food products, it remains the industry and government’s duty to ensure that the mandated food vehicles available to consumers are adequately fortified. Food producers are under obligation by law to fortify all mandated food vehicles distributed for consumption and government regulatory agencies must monitor and regulate the products from these industries to ensure compliance.
Under the Strengthening African Processors of Fortified Foods (SAPFF) project, GAIN has developed a Governance & Accountability Strategy (GAS) to address low compliance with mandatory fortification requirements by food producers and the industry at large. This strategy hinges on a third-party advocacy approach, involving consumer-group rights activists and nutrition enthusiasts with the platforms to speak on behalf of individual consumers and engage a broader audience.
Our aspiration with the proposed third-party advocacy campaign is to unburden consumers of the responsibility of choosing between unfortified or falsely labelled food products and placing the burden squarely on food producers and regulatory agencies. The goal is to have more adequately fortified, safe and nutritious foods available to all consumers. This will be achieved in part by mobilizing the voices of the third- party advocates on behalf of the Nigerian public to demand improved compliance by industry and improved enforcement by government & regulatory agencies.
