The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, says unsafe food causes nearly 50 million illnesses and more than 53,000 deaths annually in Nigeria.
Mr Salako stated this on Monday in Abuja during the commemoration of the 2026 World Food Safety Day with the theme, “From Burden to Solutions – Safe Food Everywhere.”
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He described food safety as a national development priority with far-reaching implications for public health, productivity, economic growth and the overall wellbeing of Nigerians.
According to him, foodborne diseases result in about 4.26 million years of healthy life lost annually through illness, disability and premature deaths across the country.
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“Most of this burden falls heavily on children under five, who account for more than 80 per cent of all foodborne disease burdens in Nigeria,” he said.
“In practical terms, this means the true cost of unsafe food is measured not only in sickness and death, but also in lost cognitive, physical and developmental potential,” he said.
Mr Salako said the situation reflected a broader global challenge highlighted by recently updated estimates released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on foodborne diseases.
According to him, WHO estimates indicate that unsafe food causes about 866 million illnesses and 1.5 million deaths globally every year.
He said Africa carried the highest per-capita burden of foodborne diseases, while children under five accounted for a disproportionate share of the global burden.
Disease burden
The minister said more than 40 million diarrhoeal illnesses in Nigeria were linked to foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella, E. coli, Campylobacter, Shigella and rotavirus.
He said that the infections remained major causes of hospitalisation, malnutrition and mortality among children, while chemical hazards were emerging as serious public health threats.
According to him, exposure to lead through contaminated grains, spices and water sources contributes significantly to illness, disability and premature deaths nationwide.
“These numbers underscore the urgency of strengthening food safety systems across the entire value chain,” Mr Salako said.
He emphasised the need for intensified surveillance, stronger preventive measures and improved coordination among stakeholders involved in food production, processing and distribution.
In spite of the burden, Mr Salako said Nigeria had made notable progress in strengthening food safety systems through coordinated national efforts and institutional collaboration.
He said the country’s 2023 Joint External Evaluation recorded measurable improvements across food safety indicators, while its 2025 State Party Annual Report exceeded WHO regional targets.
According to him, Nigeria is now among leading countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with functional systems for detecting, reporting and responding to foodborne disease outbreaks.
Mr Salako said the National Food Safety Management Committee had strengthened multi-sectoral collaboration, while surveillance guidelines had improved national response mechanisms significantly.
“The new WHO estimates are a call to action. These achievements must not lead to complacency. We must improve food safety practices in traditional and informal markets,” he said.
He also called for stronger surveillance of heavy metals and chemical contaminants, improved sanitation infrastructure, enhanced laboratory capacity and stricter compliance with food safety standards.
The minister said food safety extended beyond preventing infections and was critical to addressing hypertension, diabetes, obesity, stroke and cardiovascular diseases linked to diets.
He noted that Nigeria had developed National Guidelines for Sodium Reduction aligned with WHO benchmarks and was finalising regulations on sodium content in processed foods.
Mr Salako said the country was implementing trans-fat elimination regulations, making Nigeria one of Africa’s earliest adopters of WHO-recommended limits on industrial trans fats.
He added that government was strengthening sugar-sweetened beverage taxation and developing front-of-pack food labelling systems to support healthier consumer choices.
“These actions demonstrate our commitment to ensuring that food in Nigeria is not only safe, but also healthy,” he said.
The minister urged industries to reformulate products, reduce unhealthy ingredients, improve traceability and maintain accurate labelling, while encouraging research on emerging food hazards.
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He also appealed to Nigerians to adopt safer food handling practices, reduce consumption of excessively salty and sugary foods and embrace healthier dietary lifestyles.
“As we commemorate World Food Safety Day 2026, let us remember that food safety is everyone’s business. It saves lives, strengthens our economy and protects our children.
“Together, we can build a Nigeria where every household, every market and every community can confidently say: the food on our table is safe,” he added.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that World Food Safety Day is observed annually on 7 June to raise awareness and inspire action against foodborne risks.
(NAN)
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