The Federal Government has raised a red flag over the alarming rate of food-related illnesses in Nigeria, disclosing that no fewer than 200,000 Nigerians — many of them children — die every year due to consumption of contaminated or unsafe food.
Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, made the disclosure on Thursday in Abuja during the launch of the Food Safety Operational Manual tailored for food vendors, market operators, and food inspectors across the country.
Quoting the World Health Organization (WHO), Nnaji said over 600 million people globally fall sick each year from unsafe food, with Africa bearing the highest burden per capita.
Nigeria alone loses an estimated $3.6 billion annually to foodborne diseases through lost productivity, medical expenses, and trade restrictions.
“The streets, open markets, roadside kiosks, and informal eateries where millions of Nigerians get their daily meals are becoming hotspots for food poisoning and contamination,” the minister warned.
“From the criminal use of paracetamol to tenderise meat, to fermenting cassava with detergents, and dyeing palm oil with Sudan IV, we are fighting a silent war against public health.”
Describing these practices as criminal under Sections 243 and 244 of the Criminal Code Act, Nnaji called for urgent enforcement of food safety laws to curb what he called “a national health emergency.”
The minister revealed that in just the first quarter of 2025, Nigeria recorded 378 cholera deaths and over 3,500 Lassa fever infections — many linked to poor hygiene and rodent-contaminated food.
“This must stop. And this manual is a critical first step,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, represented by Adeola Olufowobi-Yusuf, said recent studies by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) showed that foodborne diseases account for about 20% of hospital admissions in Nigeria’s urban centres.
He emphasised the need for collaboration between federal and state governments to implement localised safety guidelines that respond to Nigeria’s diverse food environments.
CEO of the Nigerian Council for Food Science and Technology (NiCFoST), Nkechi Veronica Ezeh, described the newly launched manual as “the first of its kind in Nigeria,” and a long-missing tool to regulate food handling practices in markets, shops, restaurants, and bakeries nationwide.
“This manual is grounded in Chapter 8 of the Fourth Schedule of the Nigerian Constitution which outlines the role of local government councils in ensuring public health,” she noted.
With Nigeria’s food safety crisis now threatening public health and the economy, stakeholders say this initiative could mark a turning point—if backed by enforcement and public education.
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