The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has launched a nationwide campaign encouraging Nigerians to read and understand food labels before buying packaged foods, describing the initiative as a key step towards reducing the country’s growing burden of diet-related diseases.
The initiative, tagged “Read the Food Label Campaign,” was unveiled in Abuja on Thursday in collaboration with public health organisations and development partners.
Speaking virtually at the launch, NAFDAC Director-General, Mojisola Adeyeye, said the campaign is designed to equip consumers with the knowledge needed to interpret food labels and make healthier dietary choices.
She described food labels as important public health tools that provide information on the nutritional value, ingredients and safety of packaged foods.
Promoting informed food choices
Mrs Adeyeye encouraged Nigerians to make it a habit to read food labels before purchasing packaged foods, paying particular attention to sugar, sodium and other nutritional information.
She said a personal experience inspired her commitment to checking food labels after her son reacted to a food additive when he was young.
“Whenever I go shopping, I immediately check the food label. I look at the sugar content, the sodium level and other nutritional information because food labels communicate essential health, safety and nutritional information,” she said.
She added that food labels remain one of the most direct means of communication between manufacturers and consumers, especially in a market where consumers are confronted with an increasing variety of processed food products.
According to her, the campaign is intended to create a lasting culture of informed food choices rather than serve as a one-off awareness exercise.
Tackling non-communicable diseases
Mrs Adeyeye linked the campaign to Nigeria’s increasing burden of diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs), noting that unhealthy diets remain a major risk factor for illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
Citing figures from the World Health Organisation (WHO), she said NCDs account for about 29 per cent of all deaths in Nigeria, with cardiovascular diseases responsible for approximately 11 per cent, cancers four per cent, chronic respiratory diseases two per cent and diabetes one per cent.
She said many of these deaths are associated with excessive consumption of salt, sugar, saturated fats, trans fats and highly processed foods.
“In today’s increasingly complex food environment, characterised by rapid urbanisation, aggressive food marketing and the growing availability of ultra-processed foods, consumers are confronted with an overwhelming number of food choices every day,” she said.
She added that understanding food labels has become particularly important for people living with conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity and food allergies.
Mrs Adeyeye also said NAFDAC has continued to engage with food manufacturers to reduce salt levels in processed foods, stressing that informed consumers can drive greater transparency and accountability within the food industry.
Stakeholders endorse campaign
Development partners and civil society organisations at the event welcomed the initiative, describing it as an important step towards improving public health and consumer protection.
Country Director of the Network for Health Equity and Development, Emmanuel Sokpo, said the campaign would help build a culture of informed decision-making and healthier dietary habits.
He said empowering consumers with accurate nutritional information would contribute to stronger food systems and improved health outcomes.
Similarly, Executive Director of Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, Akinbode Oluwafemi, who Abayomi Sarumi represented, said the campaign comes at a time when Nigerians are increasingly exposed to aggressively marketed ultra-processed foods.
He said that understanding food labels would help consumers identify products high in sugar, salt, trans fats, and other nutrients associated with hypertension, obesity, diabetes, stroke, and heart disease.
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Mr Oluwafemi added that the campaign aligns with CAPPA’s advocacy for healthier food policies and pledged the organisation’s continued support for efforts to improve Nigeria’s food environment.
Also speaking, Executive Director of Resolve to Save Lives Nigeria, Nanlop Ogbureke, commended NAFDAC for launching what she described as a timely initiative to improve consumer awareness.
She said that although food labels contain valuable nutritional information, many Nigerians still struggle to interpret them because of technical language, complex nutrition panels and small print, making campaigns such as this essential to improving healthier food choices.