Get Guardian on GoogleThe Federal Government has unveiled an action plan to tackle food contamination and harmful processing practices, citing 50 million foodborne illnesses and 53,000 related deaths in Nigeria.
The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology,Dr Kingsley Udeh, announced the measures at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday.
He said the government would strengthen enforcement, engage food science professionals, promote new technologies and improve food packaging to address the public health challenge.
The plan also includes cooperation among regulatory agencies, a stakeholders’ conference and the adoption of a food safety procedure manual developed by the Nigerian Council of Food Science and Technology.
Udeh said his ministry would collaborate with the Ministry of Justice and the Attorney-General of the Federation to prosecute people involved in food contamination and adulteration.
According to him, offenders convicted under the relevant provisions would face penalties ranging from six months to two years’ imprisonment.
The minister said the scale of foodborne illnesses at national and global levels required action against practices that put consumers’ health at risk.
Citing findings attributed to the World Health Organisation, he said about 866 million people worldwide suffered foodborne illnesses in 2021, resulting in 1.52 million deaths.
He said the figures, reported by WHO in June, included 143,000 deaths among children younger than five, with an estimated global economic burden of $310 billion.
Udeh added that unsafe food could cause more than 200 diseases, ranging from diarrhoea to cancer.
He cited reported deaths in Kogi and Ondo states as examples of the dangers associated with contaminated food and drinks.
According to the minister, five members of a family died in Kogi State in August 2026 after consuming fufu processed from cassava flour.
He also referred to 49 fatalities in Ondo State in September, which he linked to methanol contamination of locally prepared alcoholic and herbal drinks.
Udeh commended the Registrar of the Nigerian Council of Food Science and Technology, Mrs Veronica Ezeh, for her efforts to address the sale and consumption of unwholesome and adulterated foods.
Government targets harmful food practices
In her address, Ezeh identified several processing and preservation practices that the council wanted stopped.
These included artificially ripening fruits with calcium carbide, applying dichlorvos, commonly known as Sniper, to beans and grains, and using paracetamol as a meat tenderiser.
She also listed the use of detergents and bleaching agents during cassava processing and the adulteration of palm oil with prohibited colourants such as Sudan IV dye.
Ezeh said these practices had contributed to liver cirrhosis, kidney diseases, cancer and damage to other vital organs.
Her warning covered the treatment of food during processing, preservation and preparation, with the council seeking stronger oversight to address the practices.
She said the government’s response would combine enforcement with the deployment of trained professionals and the adoption of food safety procedures.
Among the measures she outlined was the strict enforcement of Sections 243 to 245 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C38, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The enforcement component forms part of the government’s proposed response to food contamination and food fraud.
While Udeh outlined plans for collaboration with the justice authorities, Ezeh said other regulatory agencies would also be mobilised to enforce food safety regulations.
Food science cadre proposed
Ezeh said the government was proposing the creation of a food science and technology professional cadre in the public service at federal, state and local government levels.
She said the proposal would support the engagement of trained professionals to take responsibility for food safety issues across the country.
According to her, Nigeria produces more than 3,000 food science and technology graduates annually.
She reiterated the council’s determination to ensure that federal, state and local governments engaged these graduates to address food safety concerns nationwide.
The proposed cadre is one of the professional measures outlined alongside the government’s enforcement plans.
Ezeh also identified the promotion of new technologies as part of efforts to strengthen food safety.
Other measures include introducing sealing and packaging for food products and organising a stakeholders’ conference.
She further listed the adoption of the council’s Food Safety Procedure Manual, which she said was launched last year.
The registrar presented the manual, professional engagement and cooperation among regulatory bodies as parts of the government’s response to contamination and adulteration.
She said NiCFoST would continue pursuing the engagement of food science and technology graduates across the three tiers of government to strengthen food safety nationwide.
