By JKNewsMedia
NIGERIA FACES a growing burden of non-communicable diseases, with 29% of deaths linked to hypertension, heart disease, and kidney failure, public health groups said on World Consumer Rights Day.
JKNewsMedia.com reports that the Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED), Centre for Communication and Social Impact (CCSI), and Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) urged federal and state authorities to enact mandatory salt targets and front-of-pack labelling for all processed and pre-packaged foods.
The coalition highlighted that Nigerians consume up to 10 grams of salt daily, nearly double the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s recommended 5 grams.
“Consumers cannot be confident about the products they buy if critical nutrition information is hidden or difficult to understand,” the groups said.
They called for clear, visible warning labels and enforcement of national policies to achieve a 30% reduction in salt intake by 2030.
While commending the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMHSW) for launching the National Guidelines for Sodium Reduction (NGSR) in 2025, the organisations stressed that enforcement is necessary to protect consumers.
They noted many processed foods, including noodles, bread, bouillon cubes, frozen foods, salad dressings, and snacks, contain high salt levels, yet labels remain confusing or hard to find.
Mandatory front-of-pack labelling, the coalition said, has proven effective in helping consumers quickly identify products high in salt, sugar, or unhealthy fats.
They called on National Agency for Food, Drugs, Agency and Control (NAFDAC), the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Council (FCCPC), and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to enforce salt reduction, restrict marketing of ultraprocessed foods to children, strengthen monitoring, and scale public education campaigns.
“Food safety must go beyond contamination and extend to nutritional safety,” the groups added. “When foods contain dangerously high levels of salt without clear warnings, consumers are denied their right to make informed choices about their health.”
JKNewsMedia.com also reports that the organisations reaffirmed their commitment to working with government and civil society to ensure Nigeria’s food environment supports safe products and confident consumers.
“Protecting consumers means ensuring that the food sold in our markets supports health rather than undermines it,” the statement concluded.
“Policies that promote salt reduction and transparent food labelling are cost-effective tools for safeguarding the health of millions of Nigerians.”
