The Federal Government on Monday raised fresh concerns over the growing burden of foodborne diseases in Nigeria, revealing that unsafe food causes more than 53,000 deaths and nearly 50 million illnesses annually across the country.
Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, disclosed this in Abuja during a ministerial press briefing to commemorate the 2026 World Food Safety Day, themed “From Burden to Solutions – Safe Food Everywhere.”
Salako described food safety as a critical national development and health security issue, warning that the true cost of unsafe food extended beyond sickness and death to the loss of human capital, particularly among children.
According to him, Nigeria loses an estimated 4.26 million years of healthy life annually to foodborne diseases through illness, disability and premature death.
“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.
He noted that children under five account for more than 80 per cent of the country’s foodborne disease burden.
“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.
“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,” Salako added.
The minister’s remarks came on the heels of newly released estimates by the World Health Organisation showing that unsafe food causes about 866 million illnesses and 1.5 million deaths globally each year, with Africa bearing the highest per-capita burden.
According to Salako, diarrhoeal diseases remained the leading cause of foodborne illnesses in Nigeria, with more than 40 million cases linked to pathogens such as Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Campylobacter, Shigella and rotavirus.
“Over 40 million diarrhoeal illnesses in Nigeria are linked to foodborne pathogens. These infections continue to be a major cause of hospitalisation, malnutrition and mortality among our youngest citizens,” he said.
He also warned of increasing exposure to chemical contaminants.
“Chemical hazards are also emerging as a serious concern, with lead exposure responsible for tens of thousands of healthy lives lost through contaminated grains, spices and water sources. These numbers underscore the urgency of strengthening food safety systems across the entire value chain,” he stated.
Despite the challenges, Salako said Nigeria had made notable progress in building a stronger food safety system.
He said the country’s 2023 Joint External Evaluation recorded measurable improvements across all food safety indicators, while Nigeria’s 2025 State Party Annual Report score surpassed the World Health Organisation target for low- and middle-income countries.
“Nigeria is now one of the leading countries in the region in establishing functional systems for detecting, reporting and responding to foodborne disease events,” he said.
The minister, however, stressed that the latest figures should serve as a wake-up call.
“The new WHO estimates are a call to action. We must intensify surveillance for heavy metals and chemical contaminants. We must improve food safety practices in traditional and informal markets where most Nigerians buy their food.
“We must strengthen hygiene, water and sanitation infrastructure and ensure food business operators comply with national standards,” he said.
Salako also linked food safety to the country’s growing burden of non-communicable diseases, including hypertension, stroke, diabetes and obesity.
“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,” he said.
He disclosed that Nigeria had developed National Guidelines for Sodium Reduction, while the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control had finalised draft sodium reduction regulations aimed at reducing salt levels in processed foods.
According to him, the country was also implementing industrial trans-fat elimination regulations and strengthening efforts to improve the sugar-sweetened beverage tax and front-of-pack food labelling systems to encourage healthier food choices.
Salako urged food manufacturers, regulators, researchers and consumers to support efforts aimed at ensuring safer and healthier food for Nigerians.
“Food safety is everyone’s business. It saves lives, strengthens our economy and protects our children. These numbers show that food safety is not optional; it is a national health security priority,” he said.
The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, said strengthening food safety systems remained critical to reducing the country’s burden of foodborne diseases.
Represented at the event by the Director of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Directorate, Eva Edwards, Adeyeye described food safety as a public health, socioeconomic and development imperative.
“The theme for the 2026 World Food Safety Day, ‘From Burden to Solutions – Safe Food Everywhere,’ reminds us that food safety is not merely a technical issue; it is a public health, socioeconomic and development imperative. Behind every statistic on foodborne disease is a child, a family, a community or a business affected by preventable illness and loss,” she said.
The NAFDAC boss said the agency remained committed to reducing foodborne diseases through stronger regulation, surveillance and stakeholder engagement.
“At NAFDAC, we remain firmly committed to contributing to reducing the burden of foodborne disease through science-based regulation, effective surveillance, strengthened food control systems and robust stakeholder engagement,” she said.
She added, “Our efforts continue to focus on ensuring that foods manufactured, imported, exported, distributed, advertised, sold and consumed in Nigeria meet acceptable standards of safety and quality.”
Adeyeye stressed that safe food was central to achieving the country’s nutrition and health goals.
“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 defence in fighting diseases.
“Where food is unsafe, our nutritional goals cannot be achieved,” she said.
The NAFDAC Director-General further noted that addressing food safety challenges would require stronger collaboration among government agencies, industry players, researchers, development partners and consumers.
“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,” she said.
Adeyeye reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to strengthening food safety systems nationwide.
“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,” Adeyeye said.
The PUNCH