Nutritionists bill: why critics fear it could reach family food advice

A House of Representatives bill to set up a council that would register and license nutritionists is facing a growing push for its withdrawal. More than 2,100 people have signed a petition, and rights and professional groups say it could expose people who share traditional food knowledge to penalties. The committee handling it says no decision has been made.

The Nutritionists Registration Council of Nigeria Bill (HB 2659) is sponsored by Chike Okafor, who chairs the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security. It would create a council to register nutritionists, set training standards and discipline practitioners. Opening a public hearing on Tuesday 20 October, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas said the test of the bill would be whether it “protects Nigerians from harmful or misleading advice”, Voice of Nigeria reported.

A petition addressed to the Speaker had 2,189 signatures by 23 October, Vanguard reported. It says the bill does not clearly define the “practice of nutrition”, while making unregistered practice punishable by fines and imprisonment. Petitioners fear this could reach people who share recipes, family food advice or community nutrition guidance, especially where money changes hands. They also question powers for the council to receive foreign grants.

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) asked the National Assembly to withdraw the bill pending wider consultation, TheCable and Premium Times reported. It said it was not opposed to regulating qualified practitioners, but wanted the law to separate professional services from ordinary family guidance. The Institute for Dietetics in Nigeria also asked lawmakers to drop it in its current form, saying it overlaps with a separate Dietitians Council bill, The Guardian reported. The Nutrition Society of Nigeria backs the bill, and some experts say it would raise standards.

At the hearing, Okafor said the committee had “no bias or already decided opinion” and would weigh all views, for and against, before reporting to the full House. The bill is not law. It still needs a committee report, passage by both chambers of the National Assembly and the President's assent.

Pidgin: Reps get one bill wey wan create council to register and license nutritionists. Plenty people don sign petition say make dem withdraw am, because dem fear say e fit punish person wey dey share family food knowledge. Di committee talk say dem never decide anything; di bill never become law.

How this affects you: Nothing has changed for anyone yet: cooking, selling food and sharing family recipes are not affected unless a final law says so. If you sell diet plans or nutrition advice, watch the committee report, because registration rules could apply to you. You can still send views to the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security or your representative.