Unsafe Food Kills Over 53,000 Nigerians Annually, FG Raises Alarm
The Federal Government has raised fresh concerns over the growing burden of foodborne diseases in Nigeria, revealing that unsafe food is responsible for more than 53,000 deaths and nearly 50 million illnesses annually across the country.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja during a ministerial press briefing to mark the 2026 World Food Safety Day, themed “From Burden to Solutions – Safe Food Everywhere.”
Salako described food safety as a critical public health and national development issue, warning that the impact of unsafe food extends beyond sickness and death to the loss of human capital, particularly among children.
According to the minister, Nigeria loses an estimated 4.26 million years of healthy life annually due 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. Together, these illnesses and deaths result in a staggering 4.26 million years of healthy life lost to illness, disability or early death,” he said.
Salako noted that children under the age of five bear the greatest burden, accounting for more than 80 per cent of foodborne disease cases in the country.
“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 added.
The minister’s remarks followed newly released estimates by the World Health Organisation indicating that unsafe food causes about 866 million illnesses and 1.5 million deaths globally each year, with Africa carrying the highest per-capita burden.
He identified diarrhoeal diseases as the leading foodborne illness 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 remain a major cause of hospitalisation, malnutrition and mortality among our youngest citizens,” Salako stated.
The minister also warned about increasing exposure to chemical contaminants in food and water sources.
“Chemical hazards are 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 figures underscore the urgency of strengthening food safety systems across the entire value chain,” he said.
Despite the challenges, Salako said Nigeria had made significant progress in strengthening its food safety framework. He noted that the country’s 2023 Joint External Evaluation recorded improvements across all food safety indicators, while Nigeria’s 2025 State Party Annual Report score exceeded the World Health Organisation benchmark for low- and middle-income countries.
“Nigeria is now among the leading countries in the region with functional systems for detecting, reporting and responding to foodborne disease outbreaks,” he said.
However, he stressed that the latest figures should serve as a wake-up call for stronger action.
“We must intensify surveillance for heavy metals and chemical contaminants, improve food safety practices in traditional and informal markets, strengthen hygiene, water and sanitation infrastructure, and ensure food business operators comply with national standards,” he said.
Salako also linked food safety to the growing burden of non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, stroke and obesity.
“Food safety is not only about preventing infections; it is also about ensuring that the food we consume does not contribute to the rising burden of non-communicable diseases,” he noted.
He disclosed that Nigeria had developed National Guidelines for Sodium Reduction, while the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) had finalised draft regulations aimed at reducing salt levels in processed foods.
The minister added that the country is implementing industrial trans-fat elimination regulations and strengthening measures such as sugar-sweetened beverage taxation and front-of-pack food labelling to promote healthier dietary choices.
Speaking at the event, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, represented by the Director of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Directorate, Eva Edwards, described food safety as a public health, socioeconomic and development imperative.
“The theme for this year’s World Food Safety Day reminds us that food safety is not merely a technical issue. Behind every statistic on foodborne disease is a child, a family, a community or a business affected by preventable illness and loss,” she said.
Adeyeye reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to reducing foodborne diseases through science-based regulation, effective surveillance, stronger food control systems and stakeholder engagement.
“Our efforts remain focused on ensuring that foods manufactured, imported, exported, distributed, advertised, sold and consumed in Nigeria meet acceptable standards of safety and quality,” she said.
She emphasised that safe food is essential for improving nutrition, strengthening immunity and achieving national health goals.
The NAFDAC boss also called for stronger collaboration among government agencies, industry players, researchers, development partners and consumers to address food safety challenges.
Meanwhile, the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) urged the government to adopt tougher regulatory measures to tackle the growing burden of diet-related diseases.
In a statement marking World Food Safety Day, CAPPA warned that millions of Nigerians are increasingly exposed to health risks associated with excessive consumption of sugar, salt, unhealthy fats and ultra-processed foods.
Executive Director of CAPPA, Akinbode Oluwafemi, argued that food safety should go beyond preventing contamination and foodborne diseases to include protection against products that contribute to chronic illnesses.
“Food safety is not only about preventing food poisoning. It is also about ensuring that the foods and drinks available to Nigerians do not gradually undermine their health and wellbeing,” he said.
Oluwafemi warned that weak regulatory safeguards and aggressive marketing of unhealthy products are contributing to rising cases of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, stroke, kidney disease and certain cancers.
He welcomed the Senate’s recent passage of a bill aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax regime, describing it as a critical step toward reducing excessive sugar consumption and combating non-communicable diseases.
CAPPA also urged the Federal Government to adopt national sodium reduction targets, implement front-of-pack warning labels on packaged foods and beverages, and strengthen restrictions on the marketing of unhealthy foods to children.
“Truly safe food should not only be free from contamination but should also protect consumers from preventable diseases and support long-term wellbeing,” Oluwafemi stated.
World Food Safety Day is observed annually to raise awareness and encourage action to prevent, detect and manage food-related risks. The 2026 edition marks the eighth global observance of the event.
While food safety discussions have traditionally focused on contamination and disease outbreaks, health experts are increasingly drawing attention to the role of unhealthy diets in driving non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers.
In Nigeria, authorities have intensified efforts to strengthen food safety governance through initiatives including the National Food Safety Management Committee, integrated foodborne disease surveillance systems, sodium reduction programmes, industrial trans-fat elimination regulations and enhanced food monitoring mechanisms.
However, public health advocates continue to push for stronger nutrition-focused policies, including higher taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages, clearer food labelling and stricter controls on the marketing of unhealthy foods to children.