About 200,000 people in Nigeria, mostly children, lose their lives annually from food-related diseases.

In addition, Nigeria loses about $3.6 billion every year to foodborne illness.

To address this menace, the federal government, in collaboration with the Nigerian Council for Food Science and Technology (NiCFoST), has launched Nigeria’s first Food Safety Operational Manual for Food Business Operators, which is a national blueprint to strengthen the food system, improve lives, reduce illness, and restore public trust in the safety of what Nigerians eat.

Speaking at the launch of the document on Thursday in Abuja, Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, who described unsafe food as a silent epidemic, emphasised the need to address the urgent challenges confronting food safety across Nigeria, especially in the informal sector.

He stated that World Health Organisation (WHO) data shows that over 600 million people globally fall ill each year due to food contamination, with Africa bearing the highest per capita burden.

Nnaji decried the unethical use of paracetamol to tenderise meat, the use of detergents for cassava fermentation, and the adulteration of red oil and pepper with industrial dyes like Sudan IV, stating that the country is witnessing a quiet war against public health.

The minister observed that the consequences of such practices are devastating, including increased incidences of kidney failure, liver cirrhosis, cancers, and other debilitating noncommunicable diseases.

He said, “These are not cultural missteps; they are criminal acts. And as explicitly provided under Sections 243 and 244 of Nigeria’s Criminal Code Act, the sale or distribution of toxic or harmful food is a punishable offence.

“In the first quarter of 2025 alone, cholera claimed 378 lives, while Lassa fever infected over 3,500 Nigerians, with many cases linked to food contamination from rodents and poor hygiene. This must stop. And this manual is a significant step toward ensuring it does. I reaffirm our resolve that food safety must be a right, not a privilege, a national priority, not an afterthought, and a shared responsibility, not an isolated burden.”

Nnaji noted that the new manual provides a unified, science-based framework for local government food inspectors and safety desk officers, especially those working in open markets, street food environments, roadside kiosks, and informal food service settings.
He added, “These are the very spaces where Nigerians across all income levels turn to for their daily meals—and where risk is often greatest.”

He stated that the ministry is committed to translating the manual into real-world action and mandating its agencies and research institutions to produce affordable technologies for food processing and preservation; supporting capacity building and continuous training for food safety professionals; encouraging the use of mobile and digital platforms to deliver safety education to informal vendors; and working to align this initiative with international best practices, including WHO, FAO, and Codex standards.

He called on Local Government Authorities to urgently employ licensed food science professionals and urged development partners and donors to support innovation and grassroots food safety interventions.

Nnaji implored regulatory agencies and stakeholders to ensure this manual becomes a living tool, not a shelved document, and urged food vendors to follow the principles contained in the manual in order to safeguard their customers and elevate their businesses.

The minister commended the NiCFoST Registrar, Mrs. Veronica Nkechi Ezeh, for the foresight, rigour, and commitment demonstrated in producing the long-overdue manual, stressing that the manual will go a long way in addressing the challenges confronting food safety in Nigeria.

Also speaking, Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate, said that food is the cornerstone of our nation’s health and prosperity; however, when food safety is compromised, the consequences extend far beyond individual health, as it impacts families, communities, and our nation’s economic development.

Pate noted that recent studies by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) revealed that approximately 20% of hospital admissions in urban areas can be attributed to foodborne diseases, adding that this figure exemplifies the fight against foodborne illnesses and the importance of our food scientists—innovators and researchers—to support this public health priority.

He said, “This event underscores our enduring commitment to ensuring that every Nigerian enjoys safe and high-quality food. The Food Safety Operational Manual, being launched today, is designed for the intensive training of our food scientists and food scientific officers. This training will empower them with the latest scientific and technical skills, ensuring they are fully equipped to oversee and enhance food safety practices across Nigeria.

“This initiative is in tandem with the National Policy on Food Safety and Quality and its implementation Plan, 2023, and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare is elated to support this project. Your work as food scientists is fundamental in developing and implementing state-of-the-art techniques and practices that ensure the safety and quality of the food we market and consume. I challenge you to pioneer novel approaches that will reduce the incidence of foodborne diseases in our local foods.”

Earlier, NiCFoST Registrar, Mrs. Veronica Nkechi Ezeh, lamented that life-threatening and terminal illnesses like kidney failure, liver cirrhosis, cancer, diabetes, and hypertension are increasingly linked to lifestyle choices and the consumption of unsafe food.

Ezeh noted that while exact numbers of these illnesses and possible deaths are elusive, the correlation between unsafe food practices and the prevalence of kidney and liver diseases in Nigeria is evident.

She said that the operational manual is a comprehensive and critical missing tool that will guide the Food Safety Desk Officers in controlling, regulating, and monitoring food safety practices at all Nigerian Local Government markets and street shops, kiosks, restaurants, bakeries, and other places for the sale of food to the public, in line with chapter 8 of the Fourth Schedule of the Nigerian Constitution, which outlines the functions of Local Government Councils.

Ezeh observed that the Manual will also equip and empower these officers with adequate knowledge to detect/identify and mitigate some unethical and fraudulent practices of food vendors that tend to put the lives of innocent and vulnerable Nigerians, especially in rural, underserved communities, at risk.