Minister for Health

Author: Gist Correspondent

The Federal Government has raised concerns over the growing public health threat posed by unsafe food, revealing that contaminated food causes more than 53,000 deaths and nearly 50 million cases of foodborne illnesses in Nigeria every year.

Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja during a press conference marking the 2026 World Food Safety Day, themed “From Burden to Solutions – Safe Food Everywhere.”

Salako described food safety as a critical national development issue, stressing that its impact extends beyond public health to economic productivity and the overall well-being of Nigerians. He noted that the latest global estimates released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) highlight the alarming scale of foodborne diseases worldwide.

According to the minister, unsafe food is responsible for about 866 million cases of illness and 1.5 million deaths globally every year. He added that Africa bears the highest burden per capita, with children under five years accounting for the majority of cases and fatalities.

“For Nigeria, the figures are particularly disturbing. Nearly 50 million foodborne illnesses occur annually, while over 53,000 deaths are linked to unsafe food. The result is a loss of about 4.26 million years of healthy life due to sickness, disability, and premature death,” he said.

Salako explained that children under the age of five account for more than 80 per cent of the country’s foodborne disease burden, warning that the consequences extend beyond mortality to include impaired physical growth, cognitive development, and long-term human capital losses.

He identified diarrhoeal diseases caused by pathogens such as Salmonella, E. coli, Campylobacter, Shigella and rotavirus as the major contributors to the burden. According to him, more than 40 million diarrhoeal illnesses recorded annually in Nigeria are linked to contaminated food.

The minister also expressed concern over the role of unhealthy diets in fueling non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, stroke, diabetes, obesity and heart disease, noting that excessive consumption of salt, sugar and trans fats remains a major challenge.

To address the situation, he said the government had developed National Guidelines for Sodium Reduction in line with WHO standards, while the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) had finalized draft regulations aimed at limiting sodium content in processed foods.

Salako further revealed that Nigeria is implementing regulations to eliminate industrial trans fats, making it one of the first African countries to adopt WHO-recommended limits. He added that efforts were also underway to strengthen the sugar-sweetened beverage tax and introduce front-of-pack food labeling to help consumers make healthier choices.

He called on all stakeholders to support food safety initiatives through stronger disease surveillance systems, stricter enforcement of regulations, improved hygiene standards, and safer traditional markets.

NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, represented by the agency’s Director of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Mrs. Era Edwards, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to reducing foodborne diseases through science-based regulation, enhanced surveillance and stakeholder collaboration.

She said NAFDAC remained focused on ensuring that all foods manufactured, imported, exported, distributed and consumed in Nigeria meet approved safety and quality standards, stressing that access to safe and nutritious food is essential for national health and development.

Also speaking, WHO Country Representative in Nigeria, Dr. Paval Ursu, represented by Dr. Pindar Wakawa, said most foodborne diseases are preventable and urged Nigeria to act on the newly available country-specific data to protect vulnerable populations, particularly children.

He noted that the theme of this year’s World Food Safety Day underscores the need to move beyond awareness and research to practical actions that strengthen food systems, prevent contamination and guarantee safe food for all Nigerians.