The Federal Government has urged the food industry to embrace cutting-edge technologies and sustainable practices and invest in research and development that yield products fortified with both safety and nutritional excellence.
Speaking at this year’s World Food Safety Day (WFSD) themed “Food Safety: Science in Action,” the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachollom, expressed the government’s unwavering commitment to Nigeria’s food safety standards.
She noted that the Federal Government is in the process of strengthening laboratory testing protocols and digital traceability systems to ensure food safety along the food supply chain from cultivation and processing to distribution and consumption.
Kachollom observed that scientific inquiry and technology play in shaping policies and practices that protect public health, turning cutting-edge research into tangible progress on our journey toward safer, and healthier food for all.
She stated that by harnessing robust scientific research, innovative risk assessment methodologies, and comprehensive food-borne disease surveillance, “We can proactively identify hazards from chemical residues and microbial threats to physical contaminants ensuring that every link of the food supply chain upholds the highest safety standards.”
The Permanent Secretary said the ministry plans to invest in specialised training programmes for regulators and food safety professionals at national and sub-national levels, adding that this comprehensive, science-based approach will strengthen current capabilities and prepare to tackle future challenges with assurance and resilience.
Kachollom observed that by bridging scientific innovation with practical regulation, the government intends to set new precedents in food safety that are sustainable and inclusive.
She said, “Developing innovative risk assessment models and state-of-the-art surveillance tools, transforming raw data into actionable, evidence-based strategies that anticipate potential hazards and drive the creation of safe and healthy food solutions. Academic institutions must integrate multidisciplinary research, foster collaborations, and train the next generation of food safety experts.”
Kachollom called on regulators at both national and sub-national levels to establish, enforce, and continuously update policies that are deeply rooted in scientific evidence, ensuring that regulatory frameworks evolve in tandem with emerging risks and technological advancements.
She appealed to stakeholders to play their respective roles in transforming the food safety landscape and realising a future where every meal is a testament to innovation, health, and communal well-being.
Also speaking, the Director, National Coordinator Food Safety and Quality Programme in the Ministry, Dr John Atanda, said about 600 million people fall sick as a result of about 200 different types of food-borne illnesses every year.
He observed that the burden of such illnesses falls most heavily on the vulnerable groups with the yearly cost of treating food-borne illnesses estimated at $15 billion, adding that the economic burden of food-borne diseases exceeds $110 billion yearly in low and middle-income countries due to loss of productivity and healthcare expenses.
Atanda stated that the World Food Safety Day is an important way of making people aware of food safety issues, demonstrating how to prevent illness through food safety, discussing collaborative approaches to improved food safety across sectors promoting solutions and ways of being more conscious of food safety
In her remarks, the Director, Food and Drug Services, Mrs Olubunmi Aribeana, highlighted the importance of safe food practices in daily lives, stressing that millions of people rely on strict adherence to best practices, standards, and processes grounded in scientific evidence.
Aribeana stressed the need to ensure that everyone has access to safe, healthy food, adding that food safety is not a matter of personal health; but a global issue that affects all.
She said, “The essence of commemorating is to raise awareness and sensitise the public on the importance of safety, wholesomeness and quality of food we consume to safeguards the health of the citizens, explore collaborative approaches to improve food safety across all sectors, promote solutions and ways to enhance food safety.”
On his part, the President, Federation of Agricultural Commodity Associations of Nigeria, Mr Sheriff Balogun, observed that food safety is a cornerstone of sustainable development, economic growth, and social well-being, hence the need to ensure that the food produced, distributed, and consumed is safe, nutritious, and accessible to all.
Balogun listed the challenges being faced in the country as climate change, food-borne illnesses, and the need for sustainable practices. He expressed the commitment of the association to improving food safety standards, investing in education and training, and advocating policies that support safe food systems.
