The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned Nigerians that excessive sodium consumption is driving hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and stroke, urging urgent dietary change as the agency drafts new food regulations.

Director-General of the agency, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, gave the warning during a stakeholders’ engagement on the draft, titled: ‘Reduction of Sodium in Pre Packaged Foods Regulations 2026’.

She said that sodium had been identified globally as one of the leading dietary risk factors for non communicable diseases, noting that the World Health Organisation (WHO) continues to emphasise sodium reduction as a cost effective strategy for improving population health and preventing premature deaths.

Besides, the NAFDAC DG stated that Nigeria’s dietary patterns are changing rapidly, with urbanisation and increased consumption of processed and pre packaged foods contributing to higher sodium intake.

In response, the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and NAFDAC, has initiated regulatory measures to address this growing public health concern.

The proposed regulations form part of broader strategies to promote healthier diets and prevent non communicable diseases.

They, however, set maximum sodium limits for selected categories of processed and pre packaged foods, require clear labelling of sodium content, and encourage food manufacturers to reformulate products to enable consumers to make healthier dietary choices.

Adeyeye, while speaking at a stakeholders’ engagement on the draft, noted that excessive sodium intake had been identified as one of the leading dietary risk factors contributing to the conditions.

She said that the WHO had identified sodium reduction as one of the cost-effective strategies for improving population health and preventing premature deaths from non-communicable diseases.

Adeyeye, however, emphasised that regulations alone could not achieve the desired impact without the active participation of all stakeholders, stressing that the food industry, especially, plays a central role in reformulating products to reduce sodium content while maintaining safety, quality, and consumer acceptability.

The NAFDAC boss said that reducing sodium in our food supply is not merely a regulatory obligation – it is a national health priority, adding that by taking decisive action today, we are protecting future generations from preventable diseases and improving the overall well-being of Nigerians.

Also speaking, the Director, Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (FSAN), Eva Edwards, corroborated the DG’s position, stating that non-communicable diseases remain a major public health concern in Nigeria, with cardiovascular diseases accounting for a significant proportion of morbidity and mortality.

Edwards, therefore, stressed the need for regulators, researchers, public health advocates, and consumer organisations to work collaboratively to ensure implementation, monitoring and compliance.