Review of Citizen Engagement in Safe Food Markets in Kebbi State, Nigeria

The project is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and is led by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN). The overall goal of EatSafe is to enable lasting improvements in the safety of nutritious foods by focusing on the consumer. The project began by investigating consumers' and food vendors' values, perceptions, and demand for safe, nutritious foods and the gendered roles that govern food safety-related behaviors. This information will be used to design one or more market-driven food safety interventions that target consumers and vendors in traditional markets in Kebbi State, Nigeria. Citizen engagement is defined as the interactions between citizens, governments, and the private sector with the objective of improving development outcomes. The purpose of this review is to interview key stakeholders to determine how they engage citizens to improve food safety in target markets, help EatSafe identify individuals, government or other organizations who are or could become advocates/champions for improving food safety and hygienic conditions in traditional markets, identify intervention activities through stakeholder consultation for consideration in Phase II of the project, and explore the possibility of working with consumer associations in traditional markets and to partner with vendors and consumers to foster improved food safety. The citizen engagement was done in Kebbi State and focused on relevant food safety stakeholders identified during the EatSafe Nigeria team's preliminary/advocacy visit to Kebbi state in February 2021. An EatSafe food safety stakeholder mapping activity identified other stakeholders in the state who did not respond to the stakeholder mapping questionnaire and who might be able to offer desired/needed information. The respondents represented a cross-section of food safety stakeholders, including agriculture and food processing, health, nutrition, and public policy. The methodology employed a literature review (media and grey literature review) to develop an understanding of the citizen engagement concept and expected outcomes, as well as survey research. Based on responses received from the survey, suggestions were developed to enhance food safety in Kebbi State. Respondents raised concerns about pesticides, fertilizers, chemicals in beans (cowpea), and chemical ripening of fruits. Food safety issues related to microbial contamination causing foodborne illnesses such as diarrhea were cited less frequently, though food safety concerns related to meat hygiene were described and respondents wanted routine abattoir inspection by environmental and animal health personnel. Respondents reported that most food safety intervention activities appear to have engaged vendors rather than consumers. The review suggests that there is a need to engage consumers more effectively in food safety initiatives and to develop interventions that target consumers and vendors in traditional markets. The EatSafe project aims to address these challenges and improve the safety of nutritious foods available in traditional markets in Kebbi State, Nigeria. The EatSafe project implementation is led by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), a Swiss foundation working to improve the consumption of safe, nutritious foods. Other partners are the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), a research center with expertise in food safety, and Pierce Mill Entertainment and Education, a firm specializing in social impact media for positive behavior change. The EatSafe project will begin by investigating consumers' and food vendors' values, perceptions, and demand for safe, nutritious foods and the gendered roles that govern food safety-related behaviors. This information will be used to design one or more market-driven food safety interventions that target consumers and vendors in traditional markets in Kebbi State, Nigeria. The project aims to improve the safety of nutritious foods available in traditional markets in Kebbi State, Nigeria, and to enable lasting improvements in the safety of nutritious foods by focusing on the consumer.