Agency launches nationwide campaign to promote healthier food choices as non-communicable diseases account for nearly 30% of deaths in Nigeria.
The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has urged Nigerians to make reading food labels a habit before buying packaged foods, warning that unhealthy diets are fueling the rise of non-communicable diseases across the country.
Adeyeye made the appeal on Friday in Abuja during the launch of the Read the Food Label Campaign, an initiative organised by NAFDAC in collaboration with the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), the World Health Organization (WHO), the University of Abuja and other partners.
She described food labels as vital public health tools that provide consumers with essential information about the nutritional content and safety of food products.
“Reading food labels should become a shared responsibility. Everyone who purchases food should make it a habit to read food labels before making a purchase,” she said.
The NAFDAC boss revealed that her personal commitment to reading food labels began after her son suffered a reaction to a food additive as a child, prompting her to pay close attention to sugar, sodium and other nutritional information whenever she shops.
Adeyeye warned that excessive intake of foods high in sugar, salt, saturated fats and trans fats has contributed to the growing prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases and other non-communicable diseases in Nigeria.
She noted that, according to the World Health Organization, non-communicable diseases account for about 29 per cent of all deaths in Nigeria, with cardiovascular diseases responsible for the highest number.
Also speaking, Lead Investigator on Cardiovascular Health at the University of Abuja, Prof. Dike Ojji, said unhealthy diets have become a major driver of chronic illnesses and stressed the importance of proper food labelling in promoting healthier lifestyles.
President of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, Prof. Salisu Maiwada, pledged the society’s support for the campaign, promising to take nutrition awareness programmes to schools, communities and local government areas nationwide.
The Read the Food Label Campaign forms part of NAFDAC’s broader strategy to improve nutrition literacy, encourage healthier eating habits and reduce the burden of diet-related diseases through informed consumer choices.