• Regulators, scientists seek urgent laboratory investment
• Say data reveals unsafe food causes 53,000 deaths yearly in Nigeria
• NAFDAC says unbranded palm oil, fufu fall outside its regulatory oversight

Government regulators, public health scientists and consumer rights advocates gathered in Ikeja on Tuesday to address what officials described as an escalating public health crisis: the widespread contamination and adulteration of Nigeria’s food supply chain.

The experts warned that systemic failures in enforcement and supply chain traceability are leaving urban populations exposed to chemical adulterants and food-borne pathogens.

Chief Executive of the Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA), Afolabi Solebo, while speaking during the opening of the fourth edition of Lagos State Food Safety 2026 Conference and Exhibition, themed “From Burden to Solution- Safe Food Everywhere,” held at the NECA House, described food safety in Africa’s largest megacity as an urgent question of economic stability and public welfare rather than routine administration.

However, the scale of the threat was underlined by keynote speaker Dr Adeniyi Odugbemi of Food Update Konsult, who presented data showing that food-borne illnesses account for more than 53,000 deaths and 50 million cases of disease in Nigeria every year.

Odugbemi highlighted the vulnerability of informal markets, where up to 70 per cent of urban residents buy daily sustenance without formal regulatory oversight or cold-chain infrastructure.

Meanwhile, a central point of concern during the technical sessions was the pervasive adulteration of palm oil, a fundamental staple in West African culinary tradition.

Dr Nurayn Oseni warned delegates that chemical dyes are routinely added to substandard oil to simulate higher quality, estimating that as many as seven out of every 10 market samples could be compromised.

Oseni said that regulatory agencies could not combat sophisticated adulteration without significant capital investment in laboratory infrastructure and staff training, advocating the adoption of internationally recognised testing methods, including the Malaysian BOB and AIB protocols.

Oseni, therefore, called for mandatory batch-tracing systems for retailers to ensure producers are held accountable.

Also, Chief Executive of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Tunji Bello, said that state regulatory agencies, civil society organisations, and market associations must act collectively, noting that state oversight alone cannot inspect every commercial transaction.

Bello, therefore, called on commercial operators to respect basic consumer rights, including clear labelling, accurate expiry dates, and transparent ingredients, warning that businesses that deliberately compromise safety to cut costs would face sanctions.

MEANWHILE, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) said that it had received 225 complaints about suspected counterfeit products in August.

Director-General (DG) of the agency, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, stated this on Monday, while briefing journalists on NAFDAC’s efforts to tackle suspected counterfeit, adulterated and unsafe products in circulation across the country.

Adeyeye said the agency receives more than 200 complaints from Nigerians each month through its complaint channels, adding that the reports provide important leads for investigation.

The DG, therefore, urged Nigerians to report suspected counterfeiters through the agency’s official complaint channels rather than relying solely on social media to raise concerns about products.

She said that the agency was aware of concerns over suspected adulterated, counterfeit and unsafe food products following recent media reports and social media discussions involving yoghurt, palm oil, apples, soy sauce, olive oil, chicken, fish, water and beverages.

Adeyeye cautioned that social media allegations alone could not establish that a product was counterfeit or unsafe, noting the importance of scientific testing and regulatory investigation.