THE National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned that excessive sodium consumption is fueling spike in cases of hypertension, stroke and other non-communicable diseases.
Director General of the Agency, Mojisola Adeyeye, who raised the alarm at a stakeholders’ meeting on the draft “Reduction of Sodium in Pre-Packaged Foods Regulations 2026,” described high salt intake as a major preventable health risk, referencing the World Health Organisation (WHO) guideline, which recommends limiting sodium intake as a cost-effective way to reduce premature deaths from lifestyle diseases.
NAFDAC said the rise is driven by increased consumption of processed and packaged foods, especially in urban areas.
A NAFDAC official, Eva Edwards, added that Nigerians consume about 10 grammes of salt daily, nearly double the WHO limit of five grammes, with national estimates ranging from 2.85 to 10 grammes.
Experts from the Cardiovascular Unit of the University of Abuja have warned that excessive sodium is strongly linked to hypertension, kidney failure, heart disease and stroke, non-communicable diseases that now account for about 29 per cent of deaths in Nigeria.
To address this, the Agency proposed regulations to set sodium limits in selected foods, enforce clearer labelling and push gradual reformulation by manufacturers, beginning with a 15 per cent reduction and aligns with the WHO target of a 30 per cent global cut by 2030.
Adeyeye said regulation must be supported by cooperation from industry and consumers, adding that stakeholder input will be reviewed before the draft is forwarded for approval and gazetting.
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