The Federal Government has raised concern over the growing burden of foodborne diseases in Nigeria, revealing that unsafe food is responsible for more than 53,000 deaths every year and nearly 50 million cases of illness across the country.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja during a press briefing to mark the 2026 World Food Safety Day. He said the figures highlight a major public health challenge that continues to affect millions of Nigerians, particularly children.
The global event, celebrated annually, seeks to promote awareness about food safety and encourage actions that reduce food-related illnesses. This year’s theme, “From Burden to Solutions – Safe Food Everywhere,” focuses on moving beyond awareness to practical actions that can improve food safety and protect lives.
Speaking at the event, Salako said food safety should not be viewed as only a technical or health issue, but as a national development priority because it directly affects the health, productivity and wellbeing of citizens.
According to him, recent estimates released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for the period between 2000 and 2021 showed that unsafe food remains a major global problem.
He said the updated figures indicate that unsafe food causes about 866 million cases of illness and 1.5 million deaths worldwide every year.
The minister noted that Africa continues to carry the highest burden of foodborne diseases on a per-person basis, with young children suffering the most severe consequences.
“For Nigeria, the new estimates confirm the scale of the challenge. Our national data show that Nigeria records nearly 50 million foodborne illnesses every year, and unsafe food causes more than 53,000 deaths annually,” Salako said.
He explained that beyond the deaths and illnesses, foodborne diseases also result in enormous social and economic losses.
According to him, Nigeria loses about 4.26 million years of healthy life annually due to illness, disability and premature deaths linked to unsafe food.
Health experts use this measure, known as disability-adjusted life years, to estimate the impact of diseases on a population. The figure reflects years lost through sickness, reduced productivity and early death.
Salako said children under the age of five are the worst affected, accounting for more than 80 per cent of the total burden of foodborne diseases in Nigeria.
He warned that the effects go beyond immediate illness, as many children suffer long-term consequences that can affect their growth, education and future productivity.
“In practical terms, this means the true cost of unsafe food is not only measured in sickness and death but also in the lost cognitive, physical and developmental potential of our children,” he said.
The minister cited findings published in the medical journal Lancet, which suggested that many African countries should place greater emphasis on protecting children from foodborne diseases because of the long-term impact on human capital development.
According to him, diarrhoeal diseases remain the biggest contributor to Nigeria’s food safety burden.
He revealed that more than 40 million diarrhoeal illnesses recorded annually in the country are linked to foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella, E. coli, Campylobacter, Shigella and rotavirus.
These infections, he said, continue to contribute significantly to hospital admissions, malnutrition and deaths among young children.
Salako stressed that food safety is not only about preventing infections from contaminated food but also about ensuring that foods consumed by Nigerians do not increase the risk of chronic illnesses.
He pointed to the growing cases of hypertension, stroke, diabetes, heart disease and obesity in the country, which are linked to unhealthy diets containing excessive salt, sugar and harmful fats.
To address these concerns, the Federal Government said it has introduced a number of measures aimed at improving the nutritional quality of food available in Nigeria.
Among the initiatives is the development of National Guidelines for Sodium Reduction, which are aligned with WHO recommendations.
The minister also disclosed that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has completed a draft Sodium Reduction Regulation that will set limits on the amount of sodium allowed in processed foods.
He added that Nigeria is implementing regulations to eliminate industrial trans fats from food products, making the country one of the first in Africa to adopt WHO-recommended standards in this area.
Trans fats are widely recognised as harmful substances that increase the risk of heart disease and other health complications.
The government is also working to strengthen the tax on sugar-sweetened beverages as part of efforts to reduce excessive sugar consumption among Nigerians.
Salako commended the National Assembly for supporting policies aimed at improving public health through healthier food choices.
He further disclosed that the government is developing front-of-pack food labelling to help consumers better understand the nutritional content of food products before purchase.
According to him, these measures demonstrate Nigeria’s commitment to ensuring that food is not only safe but also healthy.
However, he stressed that government action alone would not be enough to address the problem.
He called for stronger collaboration among government agencies, food producers, researchers and consumers.
Salako urged authorities to fully implement foodborne disease surveillance systems, enforce food regulations and invest in safer traditional markets where many Nigerians buy their food.
He also challenged food manufacturers to reduce unhealthy ingredients in their products, improve hygiene standards and provide accurate information on product labels.
The minister said universities and research institutions also have a critical role to play by generating evidence on emerging food safety risks and changing food consumption patterns.
In her remarks, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to strengthening food safety regulations and reducing the burden of foodborne diseases in Nigeria.
Represented by the Director of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Mrs. Era Edwards, Adeyeye said NAFDAC remained focused on ensuring that food products manufactured, imported, exported, distributed and sold in Nigeria meet approved safety and quality standards.
She described food safety as a major public health issue and stressed that national nutrition goals cannot be achieved if food remains unsafe.
“Where food is unsafe, our nutritional goals cannot be achieved,” she said.
She added that NAFDAC would continue working with stakeholders across the food supply chain to improve standards and ensure access to safe, nutritious and quality food for all Nigerians.
Also speaking at the event, the WHO Country Representative in Nigeria, Dr. Paval Ursu, commended the Federal Government for efforts to strengthen food safety through regulations, policies and partnerships.
Represented by Dr. Pindar Wakawa, WHO’s Technical Officer for Nutrition and Food Supply, Ursu said the latest evidence provides Nigeria with an opportunity to take stronger action.
He noted that most foodborne diseases are preventable and called for urgent and coordinated efforts to protect vulnerable groups, especially children.
According to him, the challenge now is to move from gathering data to implementing practical solutions that will reduce illness and save lives.
He stressed that safe food is a basic human right and a key requirement for better health, improved nutrition and economic growth.