The federal government says around 200,000 Nigerians—many of them children—succumb each year to diseases linked to unsafe food.
Innovation, Science and Technology Minister Uche Geoffrey Nnaji disclosed the grim figure at Thursday’s launch of a food safety operational manual in Abuja.
The new guidelines offer a unified, science-based framework for local government food inspectors and safety officers working in open markets, street kiosks, and informal eateries—settings where daily meals are sourced and contamination risks are highest.
Nnaji highlighted common, dangerous practices—from using paracetamol to tenderise meat, to fermenting cassava with detergents and adulterating oils and spices with industrial dyes like Sudan IV. “These aren’t cultural missteps but criminal acts,” he stressed, noting that Nigeria’s Criminal Code Act explicitly punishes the sale or distribution of harmful food.
He warned of long-term consequences: kidney failure, liver cirrhosis, cancers, and other non-communicable diseases.
In early 2025, cholera killed 378 people, while Lassa fever infected more than 3,500—many cases traced to food contaminated by rodents or poor hygiene.
Coordinating Health Minister Muhammad Ali Pate added that foodborne illnesses account for about 20% of urban hospital admissions.
He urged collaboration with state governments to tailor national food safety guidelines to local challenges. Nkechi Ezeh of NiCFoST called the manual “the first of its kind in Nigeria,” vital for equipping food safety officers to protect public health.
