200,000 Nigerians Die Yearly from Food Poisoning – FG Vows Crackdown on Food Adulterators

 

The Federal Government has raised a red flag over the alarming rate of foodborne illnesses in Nigeria, which claim about 200,000 lives every year, according to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Geoffrey Nnaji.

Nnaji issued this warning during the launch of the Food Safety Operational Manual and the Training of Food Safety Desk Officers in Abuja. He stressed that anyone caught contaminating or adulterating food will now face the full force of the law.

Quoting the World Health Organisation (WHO), the minister said over 600 million people around the world suffer from foodborne illnesses yearly. He pointed out that a huge portion of the 200,000 deaths occur in Nigeria alone, with 420,000 fatalities across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Represented by Professor Samson Duna, Director General of the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute, Nnaji emphasized that food safety is more than just a health issue—it’s a national security and development priority, in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

“Food safety is a science-driven enterprise,” the minister said.

He directed all agencies under his ministry, especially the Nigeria Council of Food Science and Technology (NiCoFST), to step up efforts to ensure food safety. This includes creating affordable technologies for food preservation, promoting local innovations, and using digital tools to train street food vendors—especially in underserved areas.

Nnaji painted a disturbing picture of what’s happening on the ground:

“These are the very spaces where Nigerians across all income levels turn to for their daily meals—and where risk is often greatest.
From the unethical use of paracetamol to tenderize meat, to cassava fermentation with detergents, and adulteration of red oil and pepper with industrial dyes like Sudan IV, we are witnessing a quiet war against public health.

These are not cultural missteps—they are criminal acts. And as explicitly provided under Sections 243 and 244 of Nigeria’s Criminal Code Act, the sale or distribution of toxic or harmful food is a punishable offence.”

He explained that these harmful practices lead to serious health problems like kidney failure, liver cirrhosis, cancer, and other deadly non-communicable diseases.

Highlighting the urgency, Nnaji revealed that in just the first quarter of 2025, cholera had already claimed 378 lives, while Lassa fever infected over 3,500 people—many cases tied to contaminated food and poor hygiene.

“This must stop. And this manual is a significant step toward ensuring it does,” he added.

Meanwhile, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, shared findings from the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN). He said:

“Recent studies show that approximately 20% of hospital admissions in urban areas are caused by foodborne diseases.”