…Efforts ongoing to achieve 30% sodium reduction, front-of-pack labelling – Health Ministry Official
…Media must hold food corporations accountable, amplify public health awareness – Oluwafemi
Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has trained Nigerian journalists to investigate hidden salt consumption and expose food industry influence, as stakeholders push urgent reforms to curb rising cases of non-communicable diseases linked to unhealthy diets.
The training, held in Abuja on Wednesday, focused on salt reduction, Nutrient Profile Models and front-of-pack warning labels as key tools to improve public health outcomes and strengthen accountability in the food system.
Delivering a welcome address, Executive Director of CAPPA, Akinbode Oluwafemi expressed worries that non-communicable diseases have become a major public health concern in Nigeria, driven largely by unhealthy diets and excessive salt consumption hidden in processed foods. He noted that many Nigerians unknowingly consume dangerous levels of salt daily through common items like seasoning cubes, and bread, worsening cases of hypertension and other chronic conditions.
“Across Nigeria, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have become an urgent public health crisis, accounting for about 29 percent of all annual deaths. One of the leading risk factors for NCDs is excessive salt intake, which is often found in prepackaged and ultra-processed foods,” he said.
He stressed that policy measures such as sodium reduction guidelines, nutrient profiling and front-of-pack warning labels are critical steps, but warned that their success depends on public understanding and strong media scrutiny of food industry practices that may undermine reforms
She said the media must therefore play a central role in addressing the crisis by informing the public and scrutinising industry practices.
“When you explain how much salt is hidden in everyday foods – seasoning cubes, instant noodles, bread, sauces – you change the conversation in homes and markets,” he added.
Food Safety Technical Lead at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Femi Stephen, said government is intensifying efforts to reduce sodium intake nationwide.
He highlighted the National Sodium Reduction Guidelines which target a 30 percent reduction in sodium consumption over five years, alongside campaigns and new labelling systems to guide healthier choices.
“One of the alarming numbers that we have is that we are consuming about 3.9 grammes of sodium per day, per person, as against the recommended two grammes.” He added that common foods such as bread, noodles, biscuits and seasoning cubes contain high sodium levels, stressing the need for public demand for healthier alternatives.
Public health consultant, Dr Joseph Ekiyor, described salt reduction as a life-saving intervention backed by global evidence. The statistic says that in Nigeria, the average salt consumption per day is about 10 grammes.”
He said moving from guidelines to enforceable regulations will ensure compliance across food categories and improve access to healthier diets, while also calling for stronger primary health system to manage non-communicable diseases.