The Federal Government has expressed deep concern over the alarming toll of foodborne diseases in Nigeria, revealing that no fewer than 200,000 lives are lost annually due to unsafe food consumption. This disturbing statistic was disclosed by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Geoffrey Nnaji, who described the situation as both a public health emergency and a national development challenge.
Speaking on Thursday in Abuja during the official launch of the National Food Safety Operational Manual and a training session for Food Safety Desk Officers, the minister cited data from the World Health Organisation (WHO), which indicates that over 600 million people fall ill globally each year due to contaminated food, with Sub-Saharan Africa accounting for 420,000 deaths and Nigeria contributing a significant 200,000 to that grim figure.
Nnaji, who was represented by the Director-General of the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute, Professor Samson Duna, did not mince words in his condemnation of unethical food handling practices. He warned that the government would begin enforcing strict legal action against individuals and organisations involved in food adulteration, contamination, and other violations of food safety standards.
He stressed that food safety must be seen beyond a public health issue, describing it as a matter of national security, economic development, and a key driver of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. According to the minister, weak oversight at the grassroots level remains a major gap in the fight against foodborne illnesses, particularly within local government areas.
To address these challenges, the Ministry has directed its agencies and research institutions to prioritise the development of low-cost food preservation technologies, encourage indigenous culinary innovations, and roll out mobile and digital tools to train informal food vendors across both urban and rural communities.
“Agencies must develop cost-effective technologies for preserving food and ensuring quality control. It is also essential to promote innovations that align with Nigeria’s rich culinary heritage. Digital and mobile training resources should be deployed to informal food vendors to enhance compliance and safety,” Nnaji said.
The minister praised the leadership of the Nigerian Council of Food Science and Technology (NiCFoST), led by its Registrar, Mrs. Veronica Ezeh, for what he described as visionary work in producing the country’s first comprehensive food safety manual. He noted that such tools are instrumental in strengthening regulatory enforcement and public awareness.
In her address, Mrs. Ezeh issued a stern warning to food vendors, eateries, and food business operators to desist from practices that compromise public health. She noted that such activities are not only illegal but have been linked to deadly health conditions such as kidney failure, liver cirrhosis, chronic malnutrition, and even cancer.
Ezeh highlighted a series of dangerous practices still prevalent across the country. These include washing fruits and vegetables with detergents to make them appear fresher, using tyre flames to remove animal skin, applying carbide to ripen fruits prematurely, cooking meat with paracetamol tablets to tenderize it, and adding toxic industrial dyes such as Sudan IV to red oil and pepper for enhanced colour.
She also expressed disappointment in the failure of most local government councils to employ qualified food safety professionals, despite existing constitutional provisions. Calling for immediate corrective action, she urged all 774 local government chairmen to engage licensed food safety officers in line with national guidelines.
In a passionate appeal to stakeholders, Ezeh called on policymakers and development partners to institutionalise robust food safety systems and offer sustainable support to the nation’s food safety architecture. She affirmed that the training of over 150 participants from regulatory bodies, Abuja Area Councils, and the food industry on the newly launched manual marked a bold step in tackling the country’s food safety crisis.
With rising food-related health risks and mounting casualties, the Nigerian government has now declared its readiness to take decisive steps to protect the public through intensified regulation, enforcement, and grassroots education.