FG moves against food fraud, targets practices linked to 53,000 deaths

By Chioma Obinna The Federal Government has unveiled a multi-pronged strategy to tackle food contamination, adulteration and unsafe processing practices blamed for an estimated 50 million food-borne illnesses and 53,000 related deaths in Nigeria. The government also warned that individuals and businesses involved in the production and sale of contaminated or adulterated food risk between six months and two years’ imprisonment upon conviction.

The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, disclosed this in Abuja on Tuesday, saying the government would strengthen enforcement of food safety laws and collaborate with the Ministry of Justice and the Attorney-General to prosecute offenders. Udeh said the measures were aimed at protecting Nigerians from the growing dangers associated with unsafe food and ensuring that those responsible for food-related violations were held accountable.

He described the scale of food-borne diseases as alarming, citing a World Health Organisation (WHO) report released in June, which estimated that 866 million people worldwide suffered food-borne illnesses in 2021, resulting in 1.52 million deaths, including 143,000 children under five. The report also put the global economic burden of food-borne diseases at $310 billion.

According to the minister, WHO studies have established that unsafe food can cause more than 200 diseases, ranging from diarrhoea to cancer. He recalled the deaths of five members of a family in Kogi State in August 2026 after consuming fufu processed from cassava flour, as well as 49 fatalities in Ondo State in September following the consumption of locally prepared alcoholic and herbal drinks contaminated with methanol.

Udeh said the incidents underscored the urgent need for stronger food safety regulations, effective monitoring and public awareness to prevent further loss of lives. He commended the Registrar of the Nigerian Council of Food Science and Technology (NiCFoST), Mrs Veronica Ezeh, for her efforts to rid the country of unwholesome and adulterated food products.

Earlier, Ezeh raised concerns over dangerous food processing and preservation practices, warning that the use of unauthorised chemicals and substances was exposing Nigerians to serious health risks. She identified artificial ripening of fruits with calcium carbide, the application of dichlorvos, popularly known as Sniper, on beans and grains, the use of paracetamol to tenderise meat, and the application of detergents and bleaching agents in cassava processing as some of the harmful practices.

She also cited the adulteration of palm oil with prohibited colourants, including Sudan IV dye. According to her, these practices have contributed to increasing cases of liver cirrhosis, kidney diseases, cancer and damage to other vital organs. To address the situation, the registrar outlined measures, including strict enforcement of Sections 243 to 245 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C38, Laws of the Federation 2004.

Other measures include the proposed establishment of a Food Science and Technology Professional Cadre in the public service at federal, state and local government levels, promotion of new technologies in food safety, and the introduction of sealing and packaging requirements for food products. Ezeh said the government would also organise a stakeholders’ conference, mobilise relevant regulatory agencies to strengthen enforcement and promote the adoption of the NiCFoST Food Safety Procedure Manual, launched last year.

She emphasised the need to deploy qualified food science and technology professionals across the country to strengthen food safety monitoring and enforcement. The registrar reiterated the council’s determination to ensure that more than 3,000 Food Science and Technology graduates produced annually in Nigeria were employed by the three tiers of government to handle food safety issues.

She said deploying the professionals across federal, state and local governments would improve surveillance, strengthen compliance with food safety standards and help prevent the circulation of contaminated and adulterated food products.