The federal government has said that Nigeria records nearly 50 million foodborne illnesses every year while unsafe food causes more than 53,000 deaths annually in the country.

Government lamented that these illnesses and deaths result in a staggering 4.26 million years of healthy life lost to illness, disability, or early death.
According to the government, children under five account for more than 80% of all foodborne disease burden in Nigeria.

Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Adekunle Salako who disclosed this at the briefing organised by the ministry in collaboration with the National Food Safety Management Committee (NFSMC) to mark the 2026 World Food Safety Day in Abuja raised concern over the new data released by the World Health Organization (WHO) showing that unsafe food now causes an estimated 866 million cases of foodborne illnesses and 1.5 million deaths globally.

Salako stated that Africa continues to carry the highest per‑capita burden, and children under five bear a disproportionate share of the impact.
He said, ” More worrisome is the fact that most of this burden falls heavily on children under five, who account for more than 80% of all foodborne disease burden in Nigeria. In practical terms, this means the true cost of unsafe food in Nigeria is not only measured in sickness and death, but also in the lost cognitive, physical, and developmental potential of our children. As the Lancet analysis notes, in most African countries, including Nigeria, the burden is so heavily concentrated among children that greater emphasis must be placed on preventing long-term human capital loss rather than focusing solely on adult productivity”.

The minister observed that majority of this burden is driven by diarrhoeal pathogens adding that over 40 million diarrhoeal illnesses in Nigeria are linked to foodborne pathogens, including Salmonella, E. coli, Campylobacter, Shigella, and rotavirus.

Salako who noted that these infections continue to be a major cause of hospitalisation, malnutrition, and mortality among our youngest citizens, added that chemical hazards are also emerging as a serious concern, with lead exposure responsible for tens of thousands of healthy lives lost to illness, disability, or early death especially through contaminated grains, spices, and water sources.

The minister pointed out that food safety is not only about preventing infections; but also about ensuring that the food we eat does not contribute to the growing burden of non-communicable diseases.

Salako noted that Nigeria faces a rising epidemic of hypertension, stroke, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity, driven by unhealthy diets high in sodium, sugar, and trans-fatty acids.
He emphasized the need to urgently strengthen the food safety systems across the entire value chain.

“The new WHO estimates are a call to action. We must intensify surveillance for heavy metals and chemical contaminants. We must improve food safety practices in traditional and informal markets, where most Nigerians buy their food. We must strengthen hygiene, water, and sanitation infrastructure, and ensure that food business operators and vendors comply with national standards. We must also continue to build laboratory capacity, strengthen risk communication, and improve coordination across all sectors”.

Also speaking, the Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof Mojisola Adeyeye expressed the commitment of the agency to contribute to reduction of the burden of foodborne diseases in the country through science-based regulation, effective surveillance, strengthened food control system, and robust stakeholder engagement.

Adeyeye observed that NAFDAC will continue to focus on ensuring that foods manufactured, imported, exported, distributed, advertised, sold and consumed in Nigeria meet the acceptable standards of safety and quality.

She expressed the determination of the agency to work collaboratively with all stakeholders to strengthen Nigeria’s food safety system and ensure that safe, wholesome, nutritious, and quality food remains accessible to all.
On her part, the Country Director of Resolve to Save Lives, Nigeria, Mrs. Nanlop Ogbureke, said the organisation is committed to supporting the Government in strengthening healthier food environments through evidence-based policies and interventions.

She observed that the organisation in collaboration with partners have supported initiatives including sodium reduction efforts, trans-fat elimination, healthy public food procurement policies, and consumer awareness programmes adding that these efforts contribute to reducing the burden of cardiovascular diseases and other NCDs while improving the overall health and well-being of Nigerians.

Ogbureke who was represented by the Principal Advisor and Manager, Cardiovascular Health, Mrs Okeoma Obasi stressed the need to further advance solutions that protect consumers, strengthen food systems, and promote healthier diets.

She said, ” We commended the WHO for championing World Food Safety Day and for introducing this year’s theme, “From Burden to Solutions – Safe Food Everywhere.” This theme is both timely and action-oriented, challenging all of us to move beyond recognising food safety challenges and focus on practical, sustainable, and evidence-based solutions that ensure safe food for everyone, everywhere”.