By Mandy Park
Civil society organisations have called on the Federal and state governments to introduce mandatory salt reduction targets and clear front-of-pack warning labels on processed foods to protect Nigerians from rising cases of diet-related diseases.
The call was made by the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED), and the Centre for Communication and Social Impact (CCSI) in a joint statement issued to mark this year’s World Consumer Rights Day.
The groups said the 2026 theme, “Safe Products, Confident Consumers,” highlights the need for stronger consumer protection policies, especially in the food sector, where hidden ingredients are contributing to a surge in non-communicable diseases.
According to the coalition, Nigeria is currently battling an increasing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), noting that about 29 per cent of all deaths in the country are linked to conditions such as hypertension, heart disease and kidney failure.
They attributed the trend largely to excessive salt consumption, stating that the average Nigerian consumes about 10 grams of salt daily—almost double the recommended maximum of 5 grams set by the World Health Organization.
The organisations stressed that consumers have the right to safe food products and transparent information about what they consume.
They argued that food products containing high levels of hidden salt without clear warnings cannot be considered safe.
“Nigerians deserve to know exactly what is in their food through clear and easy-to-understand warning labels placed on the front of product packages rather than technical information buried in small print on the back,” the statement said.
While commending the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare for launching the National Guidelines for Sodium Reduction in 2025, the groups said stronger enforcement measures were needed to achieve the country’s target of reducing national salt intake by 30 per cent by 2030.
They noted that many commonly consumed processed foods—including noodles, snacks, bread, salad dressings, frozen foods and bouillon cubes—contain high levels of salt, but consumers often struggle to identify these due to complicated or poorly displayed nutrition labels.
According to the coalition, front-of-pack labelling (FOPL)—which uses visible warning symbols or simple indicators—has been proven globally to help consumers quickly identify foods high in salt, sugar or unhealthy fats.
“Consumers cannot be confident about the products they buy if vital nutrition information is hidden or difficult to interpret,” the groups said, adding that food safety should extend beyond contamination to include nutritional safety.
They therefore urged relevant government agencies—including the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria—to enforce mandatory salt targets, introduce front-of-pack warning labels, restrict the marketing of ultra-processed foods to children, and strengthen monitoring and enforcement mechanisms.
The organisations also called for expanded public education campaigns to encourage healthier dietary habits among Nigerians.
They maintained that adopting such measures would align Nigeria with global best practices and significantly reduce the growing burden of non-communicable diseases in the country.
The coalition further urged consumers to actively read food labels and demand healthier options from manufacturers.
They reaffirmed their commitment to working with government agencies, public health experts and civil society groups to ensure that Nigeria’s food environment promotes safe products and protects public health.
“Protecting consumers means ensuring that the food sold in our markets supports health rather than undermines it,” the statement added.
“Policies that promote salt reduction and transparent food labelling are cost-effective tools for safeguarding the health of millions of Nigerians.”
