By Monsurat Abisoye
The Federal Government has expressed concern over the growing burden of foodborne diseases in Nigeria, revealing that unsafe food is responsible for more than 53,000 deaths and nearly 50 million illnesses annually.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, disclosed this in Abuja during a ministerial press briefing held to commemorate the 2026 World Food Safety Day, themed “From Burden to Solutions – Safe Food Everywhere.”
Salako described food safety as a critical national development and health security issue, stressing that the impact of unsafe food extends beyond illness and death to the loss of human capital, particularly among children.
According to him, Nigeria loses an estimated 4.26 million years of healthy life every year due to foodborne diseases through illness, disability, and premature death.
He stated that the country records nearly 50 million cases of foodborne illnesses annually, while unsafe food accounts for more than 53,000 deaths each year.
The minister noted that children under the age of five bear the heaviest burden, accounting for more than 80 per cent of foodborne disease cases in the country. He warned that the consequences include not only increased mortality but also impaired cognitive, physical, and developmental outcomes among affected children.
Salako further revealed that diarrhoeal diseases remain the leading cause of foodborne illnesses in Nigeria, with over 40 million cases linked to pathogens such as Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Campylobacter, Shigella, and rotavirus. He said these infections continue to contribute significantly to hospitalisation, malnutrition, and child mortality.
He also raised concerns about increasing exposure to chemical contaminants, noting that lead exposure from contaminated grains, spices, and water sources is responsible for the loss of tens of thousands of healthy life years.
According to the minister, the figures underscore the urgent need to strengthen food safety systems across the entire food value chain.
Despite the challenges, Salako said Nigeria has recorded notable progress in improving its food safety framework. He disclosed that the country’s 2023 Joint External Evaluation showed measurable improvements across all food safety indicators, while Nigeria’s 2025 State Party Annual Report score exceeded the World Health Organisation’s benchmark for low- and middle-income countries.
He stated that Nigeria is now among the leading countries in the region with functional systems for detecting, reporting, and responding to foodborne disease outbreaks.
However, Salako stressed that the latest World Health Organisation estimates should serve as a wake-up call. He called for intensified surveillance of heavy metals and chemical contaminants, improved food safety practices in traditional and informal markets where most Nigerians purchase food, enhanced hygiene and sanitation infrastructure, and stricter compliance with national food safety standards by food business operators.
The minister also linked food safety to the rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, stroke, diabetes, and obesity. He emphasised that food safety involves ensuring that food does not contribute to these health conditions.
He disclosed that Nigeria has developed National Guidelines for Sodium Reduction, while the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has finalised draft sodium reduction regulations aimed at lowering salt levels in processed foods.
Salako added that the country is implementing industrial trans-fat elimination regulations and strengthening efforts to improve sugar-sweetened beverage taxation and front-of-pack food labelling systems to encourage healthier food choices.
He urged manufacturers, regulators, researchers, and consumers to support initiatives aimed at ensuring safer and healthier food for Nigerians, describing food safety as a shared responsibility and a national health security priority.
Speaking at the event, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, represented by the Director of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Directorate, Eva Edwards, reiterated the agency’s commitment to reducing the burden of foodborne diseases through science-based regulation, effective surveillance, strengthened food control systems, and stakeholder engagement.
Adeyeye described food safety as a public health, socioeconomic, and development imperative, noting that behind every statistic on foodborne diseases are individuals, families, communities, and businesses affected by preventable illness and loss.
She stated that NAFDAC remains focused on ensuring that foods manufactured, imported, exported, distributed, advertised, sold, and consumed in Nigeria meet acceptable standards of safety and quality.
The NAFDAC boss further stressed that safe food is essential for achieving the country’s nutrition and health goals, noting that nutritional objectives cannot be realised if food is unsafe.
She added that addressing food safety challenges would require stronger collaboration among government agencies, industry stakeholders, researchers, development partners, and consumers through evidence-based policies, effective regulation, responsible industry practices, and sustained public awareness.
Meanwhile, the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) called for stronger regulatory measures to address the growing burden of diet-related diseases in Nigeria.
In a statement marking the 2026 World Food Safety Day, CAPPA warned that millions of Nigerians are increasingly exposed to health risks associated with excessive consumption of sugar, salt, unhealthy fats, and ultra-processed foods.
The organisation argued that food safety should go beyond concerns about contamination and foodborne diseases to include protection against products that contribute to non-communicable diseases.
CAPPA’s Executive Director, Oluwafemi Akinbode, said food safety should also ensure that foods and beverages available to Nigerians do not gradually undermine their health and well-being.
He warned that weak regulatory safeguards and aggressive marketing of unhealthy products are contributing to increasing cases of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, stroke, kidney disease, and certain cancers, thereby placing additional pressure on households, the healthcare system, and the economy.
Akinbode maintained that public health policies should prioritise scientific evidence and public interest over commercial considerations tied to unhealthy consumption patterns.
CAPPA welcomed the recent passage by the Senate of a bill aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax regime, describing it as an important intervention in reducing excessive sugar intake and curbing non-communicable diseases.
The organisation also urged the Federal Government to adopt national sodium reduction targets, implement Front-of-Pack Warning Labelling on packaged foods and beverages, and strengthen restrictions on the marketing of unhealthy foods to children.
According to CAPPA, truly safe food should not only be free from contamination but should also protect consumers from preventable diseases and promote long-term well-being.
World Food Safety Day is observed annually to raise awareness and encourage action to prevent, detect, and manage food-related risks. The 2026 edition marks the eighth global observance of the event.
While discussions around food safety have traditionally focused on microbial contamination and disease outbreaks, public health experts are increasingly highlighting the role of unhealthy diets in driving non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and certain cancers.
In Nigeria, authorities have intensified efforts to strengthen food safety governance through initiatives such as the National Food Safety Management Committee, the National Integrated Guidelines for Foodborne Disease Surveillance and Response, sodium reduction programmes, industrial trans-fat elimination regulations, and improved food surveillance systems.
However, health advocates continue to push for stronger nutrition-focused policies, including enhanced sugar-sweetened beverage taxes, front-of-pack warning labels, and tighter restrictions on the marketing of unhealthy foods to children.