By PRISCILLA OSAJE

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, says Nigeria records nearly 50 million foodborne illnesses every year, revealing that unsafe food causes more than 53,000 deaths annually in the country.

Salako said this in Abuja on Monday at a news conference in commemoration of the 2026 World Food Safety Day themed “From Burden to Solutions – Safe Food Everywhere.”

According to him, this theme is a powerful reminder that food safety is not merely a technical issue; it is a national development priority that affects the health, productivity, and wellbeing of every Nigerian.

The minister said few days ago, the World Health Organisation (WHO) released the updated global estimates of the burden of foodborne diseases for the period 2000 to 2021.

He added that globally, the updated modelling showed that unsafe food now causes annually an estimated 866 million cases.

“The updated modelling also shows that 1.5 million lives are lost annually. Africa continues to carry the highest per‑capita burden, and children under five bear a disproportionate share of the impact.

“For Nigeria, the new estimates confirm the scale of the challenge. Our national data show that Nigeria records nearly 50 million foodborne illnesses every year, and unsafe food causes more than 53,000 deaths annually in our country.

“Together, these illnesses and deaths result in a staggering 4.26 million years of healthy life lost to illness, disability, or early death,” the minister said.

According to him, most of this burden falls heavily on children under five, who account for more than 80 per cent of all foodborne disease burden in Nigeria.

“In practical terms, this means the true cost of unsafe food in Nigeria is not only measured in sickness and death, but also in the lost cognitive, physical, and developmental potential of our children.

“As the Lancet analysis notes, in most African countries, including Nigeria, the burden is so heavily concentrated among children that greater emphasis must be placed on preventing longterm human capital loss rather than focusing solely on adult productivity.

“The majority of this burden is driven by diarrhoeal pathogens. Over 40 million diarrhoeal illnesses in Nigeria are linked to foodborne pathogens, including Salmonella, E. coli, Campylobacter, Shigella, and rotavirus.

“These infections continue to be a major cause of hospitalisation, malnutrition, and mortality among our youngest citizens,” Salako said.

According to him, food safety is not only about preventing infections; it is also about ensuring that the food we eat does not contribute to the growing burden of non communicable diseases.

“Nigeria faces a rising epidemic of hypertension, stroke, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity, driven by unhealthy diets high in sodium, sugar, and trans fatty acids.

“We are responding decisively. Nigeria has developed the National Guidelines for Sodium Reduction aligned with WHO benchmarks.”

The minister said the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) had finalised the draft Sodium Reduction Regulation, which would ensure sodium limits in processed foods.

According to him, Nigeria is implementing the transfat elimination regulation, making us one of the first African countries to adopt WHO recommended limits for industrial trans fats.

“We are also working to strengthen the sugar sweetened beverage tax, which is a proven tool for reducing sugar consumption – we appreciate the effort of the National Assembly on this,” he said.

The minister said the government was also developing front-of-pack labelling (FOPL) to help consumers make more informed food choices.

“These actions demonstrate our commitment to ensuring that food in Nigeria is not only safe, but also healthy. But to truly move from burden to solutions, every sector must play its part.

“We must ensure the full implementation of the foodborne disease surveillance and response system, enforce sodium and TFA regulations, and invest in safer traditional markets.”

Salako said the industry must reformulate products to reduce salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats, improve hygiene and traceability, and provide honest labelling.

He added that academia must generate evidence on emerging hazards and food consumption patterns.

In her remarks, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, restated the agency’s commitment to reducing the burden of foodborne disease through science-based regulation, effective surveillance, strengthened food control system, and robust stakeholder engagement.

Adeyeye was represented by Mrs Era Edwards, the NAFDAC Director, Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Directorate.

The NAFDAC D-G said the agency’s efforts focused on ensuring that foods manufactured, imported, exported, distributed, advertised, sold and consumed in Nigeria met the acceptable standards of safety and quality.

“We reaffirm our commitment to working collaboratively with all stakeholders to strengthen Nigeria’s food safety system and ensure that safe, wholesome, nutritious, and quality food remains accessible to all.

“We recognise World Food Safety Day as an added opportunity to situate food safety as a significant issue of public health concern especially in the light of safe, wholesome food being important for boosting immunity and improving the body’s natural defense in fighting diseases.

“Where food is unsafe, our nutritional goals cannot be achieved. The challenge before us is significant, but so too is our collective capacity to address it through evidence-based policies, effective regulation, responsible industry practices, and sustained public awareness.

“At NAFDAC, we remain resolute in our unwavering commitment to playing our role in strengthening the national food safety system, upholding standards and regulations, and promoting best practices within industry and across society to assure a safe food supply.”

Also speaking, Dr Paval Ursu, the Country Representative of WHO, Nigeria, commended the Federal Government for its ongoing efforts to strengthen food safety through policies, regulatory frameworks and partnerships.

Ursu, who was represented by Dr Pindar Wakawa, Technical Officer for Nutrition and Food Supply, WHO, said the 2026 World Food Safety Day themed “From Burden to Solutions – Safe Food Everywhere” called for urgent, coordinated and sustained action.

“This year’s theme, From Burden to Solution, Safe Food Everywhere calls for a decisive shift from understanding the problem of unsafe food to implementing practical, sustainable solutions that protect human health.

“The theme reminds us that generating evidence is only the first step. We must move from data to action, from awareness to implementation, and from burden to solutions.

“Safe food is not a luxury. It is a fundamental human right and cornerstone of health, nutrition and economic productivity,” the WHO country representative said.

According to him, ensuring safe food everywhere is essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and improving the well-being of all Nigerians.

“The encouraging message from the evidence released from the latest global estimates is that most food-borne diseases are preventable.

“This calls for urgent, coordinated and sustained action. The new estimates give Nigeria something we have not had before, clear, country-specific evidence.

“The opportunity now is to act decisively, especially to protect children, strengthen our food system and address emerging risks like chemical contamination.” (NAN)

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