The House of Representatives on Tuesday called on the Federal Government to strengthen food safety measures to address the growing incidence of foodborne diseases across Nigeria.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by the member representing Orhionmwon/Uhunmwonde Federal Constituency of Edo State, Billy Osawaru, during plenary.
The motion, titled “Need to tackle the increasing rate of foodborne diseases, stiffen food safety regulations and increase public awareness in Nigeria,” highlighted the alarming health and economic consequences of unsafe food consumption.
Presenting the motion, Osawaru cited a World Health Organisation (WHO) report indicating that unsafe food causes about 866 million illnesses—equivalent to one in every nine people—and 1.5 million deaths globally each year, with Africa recording the highest burden.
The lawmaker acknowledged the Federal Government’s efforts under Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3 and 12 to promote healthy lives and sustainable food production, as well as the statutory responsibilities of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) in regulating food safety.
He also commended Nigeria’s 2025 State Party Annual Report performance, noting that the country attained a Level 3 rating, surpassing the WHO benchmark and emerging as one of Sub-Saharan Africa’s leading countries with functional systems for detecting, reporting and responding to foodborne disease outbreaks.
Despite these achievements, Osawaru expressed concern that Nigeria continues to record an estimated 50 million foodborne disease cases and over 53,000 related deaths annually, resulting in the loss of about 4.26 million healthy life years due to illness, disability and premature deaths.
He noted that more than 80 per cent of those affected are children below the age of five.
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According to him, poor hygiene among food handlers, chemical contamination, open defecation, inadequate access to potable water, weak enforcement of food safety regulations by NAFDAC and SON, as well as poor infrastructure in markets and abattoirs, remain major contributors to the problem.
Osawaru further stated that Nigeria loses an estimated 3.6 billion dollars annually through lost productivity, healthcare costs and trade restrictions arising from foodborne illnesses.
He also referenced recurring cholera outbreaks reported by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), attributing them largely to contaminated food and water sources, which expose weaknesses in the country’s sanitation and water infrastructure.
The motion received overwhelming support from lawmakers and was adopted through a voice vote presided over by the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas.
Following its adoption, the House urged the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, NAFDAC, SON and the NCDC to strengthen nationwide surveillance, inspection and certification across the entire food production value chain.
Lawmakers also mandated the House Committee on Healthcare, Food Safety and Nutrition to collaborate with NAFDAC, NCDC, SON and other relevant stakeholders to ensure adequate funding for the procurement of food testing equipment in future supplementary budgets.
The committee was further directed to prioritise the training, retraining and certification of food handlers and identify legislative gaps requiring amendment to strengthen Nigeria’s food safety framework.
In addition, the House called on the Federal Ministries of Health and Water Resources to intensify investments in clean and potable water while expanding sanitation infrastructure to reduce contamination of food and water sources.
The lawmakers also directed the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation to sustain nationwide public awareness campaigns on food safety, personal hygiene and the health risks associated with consuming food from unsafe roadside outlets.