NAFDAC urges Nigerians to embrace food safety, advocates access to safe and wholesome food

The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has called on Nigerians to renew their commitment to ensuring that every citizen has access to safe and wholesome food.

Adeyeye made the call on Monday in Lagos during the agency’s commemoration of the 2026 World Food Safety Day, themed “From Burden to Solutions – Safe Food Everywhere.”

Represented by the Director of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (FSAN), Mrs. Eva Edwards, the NAFDAC boss said the agency remained committed to advancing food safety in line with global efforts to protect public health and strengthen sustainable food systems.

She noted that NAFDAC joined the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Food Safety Management Committee and the international community in marking the annual event to reinforce the importance of safe food as a fundamental human right.

According to her, food safety is essential to public health and requires the collective efforts of everyone involved in the food supply chain, from agricultural production and processing to transportation, storage, distribution, food service and final consumption.

She explained that the theme for this year’s celebration highlights the need to move beyond recognising the burden of foodborne diseases and focus on practical, science-driven solutions capable of ensuring safe food for all.

“The theme challenges us to focus on practical and sustainable solutions that will ensure safe food for everyone, everywhere through science-based regulation, education, responsible practices, innovation and collaboration,” she said.

Adeyeye observed that unsafe food remains a major public health challenge globally, contributing to foodborne illnesses, food insecurity, economic losses, reduced productivity, food waste and rejection of food exports.

She stressed that strengthening Nigeria’s food safety system remains critical to protecting public health, improving nutrition, facilitating trade and building confidence in the country’s food supply chain.

According to her, NAFDAC will continue to strengthen regulatory oversight, surveillance systems, laboratory capacity, industry compliance and public awareness to improve food safety standards nationwide.

The Director-General said achieving safe food requires sustained commitment by all stakeholders through the adoption of internationally recognised practices, including Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), Good Hygiene Practices (GHP), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Good Storage and Distribution Practices, as well as the implementation of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) systems.

She added that food safety education and public awareness, particularly on the World Health Organization’s Five Keys to Safer Food, remain essential in preventing foodborne diseases.

Adeyeye said NAFDAC’s responsibility as the country’s food safety regulator includes ensuring that food products available to consumers comply with national and international safety and quality standards.

She, however, maintained that regulation alone would not guarantee food safety, stressing that effective partnerships among government agencies, industry operators, farmers, food vendors and consumers are necessary to build a resilient food safety system.

The NAFDAC boss also said the annual celebration provides an opportunity to assess progress made in improving food safety, including the shift from reactive to preventive regulatory approaches, increased public awareness and stronger collaboration across sectors.

She urged Nigerians to remain vigilant by purchasing only properly labelled products bearing NAFDAC registration numbers and traceable sources, noting that consumer awareness plays a vital role in safeguarding public health.

World Food Safety Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2018 following a joint proposal by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), and has been observed globally since 2019 to promote awareness and action on food safety.