Nigeria’s food and drug regulator is pushing to cap sodium levels in pre-packaged foods, as officials warn that Nigerians consume nearly twice the globally recommended daily salt intake — a trend they link to a rising burden of hypertension, stroke, and cardiovascular disease.
The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Mojisola Adeyeye, raised the alarm on Tuesday at a stakeholders’ engagement on the draft Reduction of Sodium in Pre-Packaged Foods Regulations 2026, describing high sodium intake as one of the leading dietary risk factors for preventable deaths in Nigeria and globally.
The Director of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at NAFDAC, Eva Edwards, said Nigerians consume an average of 10 grams of salt daily — nearly double the World Health Organisation’s recommended limit of five grams. She cited data from the National Multi-sectoral Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases showing sodium intake in Nigeria ranges between 2.85g and 10g per day.
Non-communicable diseases account for roughly 29 per cent of all deaths in Nigeria, with cardiovascular diseases contributing a significant share — figures experts say are worsening amid rapid urbanisation and growing dependence on processed foods.
“Pre-packaged foods now form a growing share of daily diets, especially in urban areas. While convenient, they contribute significantly to excessive sodium intake,” Adeyeye said.
The proposed regulations would set maximum sodium limits across selected food categories, mandate clear labelling of sodium content, and require manufacturers to gradually reformulate their products. The policy includes a phased reduction strategy starting with a 15 per cent cut, aligned with the WHO target of a 30 per cent reduction in population sodium intake by 2030.
Public health experts, including representatives from the Cardiovascular Unit of the University of Abuja, told the meeting that high sodium consumption is directly linked to hypertension, stroke, kidney disease, and heart failure.
Adeyeye stressed that regulation alone would not suffice without industry buy-in.
“The food industry plays a central role in reformulating products while maintaining quality and safety,” she said.
Civil society organisations, including Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa and the Network for Health Equity and Development, backed the initiative, calling for urgent action to curb diet-related diseases.
Stakeholder inputs from the engagement will be incorporated into the draft before it is forwarded to the NAFDAC Governing Council and subsequently reviewed by the health and justice ministries ahead of gazetting.
