Capacity of primary health care facilities to deliver nutrition services in selected urban areas of Ibadan, Nigeria

Background Strong primary health care (PHC) systems are essential for delivering nutrition interventions and achieving global nutrition targets, particularly in low- and middle-income countries facing high malnutrition burdens. Objectives This study assessed the nutrition service capacity PHC facilities in three urban local government areas (LGAs) of Ibadan, Nigeria. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 2023 across 40 public PHC facilities in the Ibadan North, Ibadan North-West, and Ibadan South-East LGAs. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire (based on the Uganda Nutrition Service Delivery Assessment Tool), direct observation, and interviews with Officers-in-Charge. Nutrition service capacity was evaluated across 11 domains and categorised as poor, fair, good, or excellent based on pre-defined criteria. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics on SPSS 26.0. Results Most (85.0%) facilities offered nutrition services, with strong performance in basic anthropometric assessments for children under five: weight (100.0%), MUAC (97.5%), height (85.0%) and preventive interventions: vitamin A supplementation (97.5%), and iron-folic acid (97.5%) for pregnant women. Significant gaps existed: only 7.5% had a qualified nutritionist/dietitian; human resource capacity was poor in 70.0% of facilities; clinical management (counselling, referral, follow-up) was limited; no facility provided therapeutic or supplementary feeding; quality improvement systems were poor in 100.0%; and data use for decision-making was weak (only 12.5% analysed/displayed nutrition data). Overall, 75% of the facilities showed good service provision but limited readiness in infrastructure, equipment, and systems. Conclusion Despite the integration of preventive nutrition services, PHC facilities in urban Ibadan demonstrate gaps in comprehensive nutrition care. Targeted investments in workforce hiring and training, equipment, quality improvement and data systems are needed to strengthen nutrition service delivery.