Illness in Nigeria is no longer driven solely by poverty or lack of access to healthcare. Increasingly, it stems from what people eat. Processed foods high in salt, sugar, and saturated fats, poorly labelled and aggressively marketed, are fuelling a sharp rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including hypertension, stroke, and cardiovascular disease, JKNewsMedia, Michael Oguntuga, who attended a training hosted by CAPPA, reports.
PROCESSED FOODS are currently under fire as health experts push for regulation and reform.
At a one-day journalism training session hosted in Lagos by Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), journalists and public health advocates sounded the alarm over Nigeria’s escalating health crisis – driven by excessive salt consumption, misleading food labelling, and industry interference in policy.
The session, held Thursday, examined how processed foods are fuelling a surge in non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which now account for more than 30% of all deaths in Nigeria.
Health professionals flagged hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular complications as top contributors, describing the situation as both a public health emergency and a preventable crisis.
Describing salt consumption as the hidden killer in everyday meals, health experts warned that many Nigerians are consuming between 7 to 10 grams of salt daily which is far exceeding the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation of no more than 5 grams per day.
The problem, they said, is that salt often hides in plain sight.
“Salt is everywhere in seasoning cubes, noodles, bread, sauces, restaurant meals. And it’s consumed unknowingly,” said Bukola Olukemi Odele, a food and nutrition scientist with CAPPA.
She explained that while natural foods contain trace amounts of sodium, ultra-processed products are laden with hidden additives such as monosodium glutamate (MSG) and other preservatives.
Lacking proper food labelling, consumers are unable to make informed dietary choices, further deepening health risks, she stressed.
The organisation, CAPPA also pushes for stronger policy tools as its Executive Director, Oluwafemi Akinbode, highlighted the Federal Government’s launch of the National Sodium Reduction Guidelines (NSRG) in March 2025.
He said it was aimed at cutting sodium in processed foods. The policy targets a 15% sodium reduction by 2028, with an additional 15% by 2030, mirroring WHO’s global target of a 30% cut by 2030.
But Akinbode warned that policy alone isn’t enough without rigorous enforcement, public education, and insulation from corporate lobbying.
Among CAPPA’s top recommendations were the introduction of mandatory front-of-pack warning labels (FOPWL) which are simple, visual signs on packaging that alert consumers when products are high in salt, sugar, or fat.
“These labels empower consumers to make healthier choices,” Akinbode noted, citing successful rollouts in Chile, Mexico, and Brazil, where sales of sugary drinks dropped, and food producers reformulated recipes to avoid warning labels.
Scrutinizing a food industry with tobacco-style tactics, the second session with the theme “Unmasking the Industry,” revealed how Ultra-Processed Food (UPF) companies are deploying tricks reminiscent of the tobacco sector to block food regulation.
These include:
▪️Lobbying government officials
▪️Funding misleading academic research
▪️Using digital influencers to shape public perception, and
▪️Marketing high-sodium products as “fortified” or “beneficial”
Explaining deeper, bouillon cubes, for instance, continue to be sold as nutritious, despite their excessive salt content, misleading the public and downplaying associated health risks.
One particularly striking example was the recent visit of Coca-Cola’s global CEO to President Bola Tinubu, raising questions about corporate access to government power amid attempts at nutrition reform.
Then, hinging on the role for journalism in food policy reform, media participants were reminded that Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (2018) guarantees citizens the right to safe food and honest labelling.
However, enforcement remains weak but needs to be reinforced, the journalists were told.
CAPPA also called for safeguards similar to Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which shields public policy from industry interference.
Participating journalists were further urged to act as watchdogs, investigating how commercial interests shape Nigeria’s food environment and reporting on the lived experiences of diet-related illnesses.
“Journalists must challenge corporate narratives and humanise the crisis,” said Akinbode. “We need to tell stories that link salt-laden foods to hospital visits, dialysis sessions, and early deaths.” he adds.
Beyond labelling, the session notes that broader reform agenda which was the essence of the training as it explored complementary policy measures to safeguard public health, and these include:
▪️Increased taxes on unhealthy foods
▪️Marketing restrictions to protect children
▪️Mandatory product reformulation
▪️Investment in sustainable, local food systems
As an example, Nigeria’s Sugar-Sweetened Beverage (SSB) Tax, currently set at ₦10 per litre, was deemed insufficient.
CAPPA and its partners are therefore calling for an increase to at least ₦130 per litre, based on global health economics models that show $12.82 return in health savings for every $1 invested in sodium reduction.
‘Junk on Our Plates’: How Youth Are Targeted – showed a CAPPA investigative report was also presented, highlighting how food companies aggressively target Nigerian youth through:
▪️Cultural co-optation
▪️Sponsorship of school events
▪️ Deceptive advertising
The NGO said that report warns that these tactics are rapidly displacing traditional, healthier Nigerian diets.
CAPPA also identified regulatory loopholes, including the weak enforcement of labelling laws and insufficient controls on imported food products, as avenues being exploited by industry players.
As the event wrapped up, CAPPA made a salient final call towards empowering consumers in order to enforce policy and protect lives of Nigerians.
Akinbode said this is a resounding call to action as he commended the efforts of young media advocates and journalists in pushing this agenda and urged them to amplify the conversation across the country.
“Safeguarding Nigeria’s health means confronting the industries that profit from public confusion,” Akinbode said. “We must put public interest above profit, empower consumers with facts, hold corporations accountable, and demand that food policies serve Nigerians, not just corporations.” Akinbode said.
