The Federal Government has expressed concern over the increasing impact of foodborne diseases in Nigeria, revealing that unsafe food is responsible for more than 53,000 deaths and nearly 50 million illnesses across the country every year.
Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, disclosed the figures on Monday in Abuja during activities marking the 2026 World Food Safety Day, themed “From Burden to Solutions – Safe Food Everywhere.”
According to the minister, food safety remains a major public health and development challenge, with children under the age of five bearing the greatest burden of food-related illnesses.
He noted that foodborne diseases account for an estimated 4.26 million years of healthy life lost annually through illness, disability, and premature death, stressing that the consequences extend beyond health concerns to affect the nation’s human capital development.
Salako said diarrhoeal diseases linked to contaminated food continue to be widespread, with pathogens such as Salmonella, E. coli, Campylobacter, Shigella, and rotavirus responsible for more than 40 million cases nationwide each year.
The minister also warned about the growing threat posed by chemical contaminants, particularly lead exposure from polluted grains, spices, and water sources, which he said contributes significantly to the country’s disease burden.
Despite the alarming figures, Salako highlighted progress made in strengthening Nigeria’s food safety framework. He pointed to improvements recorded during the country’s 2023 Joint External Evaluation and the 2025 State Party Annual Report, noting that Nigeria now ranks among leading African nations in food safety surveillance and response systems.
He, however, called for stronger action to address existing gaps, including improved monitoring of chemical hazards, better food handling practices in informal markets, enhanced sanitation infrastructure, and stricter compliance with food safety standards.
The minister further linked food safety to the rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, stroke, and obesity, emphasizing that ensuring food quality is critical to improving public health outcomes.
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Meanwhile, Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, reiterated the agency’s commitment to reducing foodborne diseases through effective regulation, surveillance, and stakeholder collaboration.
Represented by the Director of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Directorate, Eva Edwards, Adeyeye described food safety as a public health and socioeconomic priority, stressing that every case of foodborne illness represents a preventable loss affecting families, communities, and businesses.
She said NAFDAC would continue to strengthen food control systems and ensure that food products manufactured, imported, distributed, and sold in Nigeria meet established safety and quality standards.
Also weighing in, the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) urged authorities to adopt stronger nutrition-focused policies to tackle the growing burden of diet-related diseases.
CAPPA Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, said food safety should go beyond preventing contamination and include measures to protect Nigerians from unhealthy products linked to obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and other chronic diseases.
The organisation welcomed ongoing efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax regime and called for the implementation of sodium reduction targets, front-of-pack warning labels, and tighter restrictions on the marketing of unhealthy foods to children.
World Food Safety Day is observed annually to promote awareness and action aimed at preventing food-related health risks and improving public health outcomes worldwide.