According to a 2024 World Health Organization (WHO) report, nearly one in ten people worldwide became ill each year after consuming contaminated food, resulting in 420,000 deaths.
The Nigeria Food Science and Technology Council has launched a new manual that will guide food safety personnel in the oversight and implementation of sanitation standards, particularly in street vendors and local markets across the country.
At the launch held in Abuja on Thursday, Council Chief Executive Veronica Eze said the manual will help regulate and monitor food safety practices in the Nigerian market.
Eze said these sell food to the public to street vendors, restaurants, bakeries and other facilities.
She explained that life-threatening conditions such as renal failure, cirrhosis, cancer and diabetes are increasingly linked to lifestyle choices and unsafe food consumption.
Although the exact figures regarding these diseases and related deaths are unknown, she said the relationship between unsafe food practices in Nigeria and increased kidney and liver diseases in Nigeria is clear.
She added that addiction to consumers with contaminated food is more harmful than armed robbers as it leads to slow deaths due to various health conditions.
“These practices are criminal and unethical and represent a complete breakdown of food handling standards, which can only be bound by what is expected by licensed food experts,” she said.
“The era of dangerous practices must stop.”
Eze urged the local council to hire licensed food professionals to monitor and implement food safety in the community.
meaning
Street food is a major source of feeding millions of people every day, across Nigeria, especially urban and peri-urban areas.
According to a 2024 World Health Organization (WHO) report, around 600 million people, about one in one billion people worldwide, became ill each year after consuming contaminated food, resulting in 420,000 deaths.
Children under the age of five are responsible for 40% of this burden, resulting in 125,000 deaths per year.
These diseases are often associated with unsafe food handling and preparation practices common in many low- and middle-income countries, including Nigeria.
The importance of food safety
At this event, Muhammad Pate, Minister of Coordination for Health and Social Welfare, lost food safety, is far beyond the case of individual illnesses.
Pate, who was represented by the provincial food and drug distributor Adeola Olufowobi-Yusuf, warned that unsafe foods will not only harm public health but also economic progress.
He said that dangerous foods will affect the economic development of families, communities and the country.
“Recent research with improved nutrition by the Global Alliance has revealed that around 20% of urban hospitalizations can be attributed to foodborne diseases,” he said.
“The numbers illustrate the battle between foodborne diseases and the importance of food scientists, innovations and researchers to support this public health priorities.”
He added that training for food scientists and safety officers will equip them with the technical and scientific skills needed to enhance food surveillance systems across Nigeria.
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As efforts to combat the issues intensify, Uche Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, said the manual is an important step in addressing the national challenges, particularly within the informal food sector.
Nnaji, who was represented by Samson Donna of Nigeria’s Buildings and Roads Institute, explained that the manual is a bold move to end the handling of dangerous foods and ensure lasting changes.
He said the ministry is supporting capacity building and continuous training for food safety professionals, while also promoting a digital platform for receiving food safety education and reaching informal vendors.
He said the initiative coincides with global standards, including those of WHO, FAO and Codex.
He also urged local councils to engage licensed food experts, urging partners to support grassroots efforts, stressing the need to use manuals proactively rather than shelved.
