Nigeria records nearly 50 million foodborne illnesses every year, while unsafe food causes over 53,000 deaths annually in the country, the federal government has said.
It lamented that these illnesses and deaths result in a staggering 4.26 million years of healthy life lost to illness, disability, or early death. According to the government, children under five account for over 80 per cent of all foodborne disease burden in Nigeria.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Adekunle Salako, disclosed these at a briefing organised in Abuja by the ministry, in collaboration with the National Food Safety Management Committee (NFSMC), to mark the 2026 World Food Safety Day.
He raised concern over the new data released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) showing that unsafe food now causes an estimated 866 million cases of foodborne illnesses and 1.5 million deaths globally.
Salako said Africa continues to carry the highest per‑capita burden, while children under five bear a disproportionate share of the impact. According to him, ‘more worrisome is the fact that much of this burden falls heavily on children under five, who account for over 80 per cent of all foodborne disease burden in Nigeria.
‘In practical terms, this means the true cost of unsafe food in Nigeria is not only measured in sickness and death but also in the lost cognitive, physical and developmental potential of our children.
‘As the Lancet analysis notes, in most African countries, including Nigeria, the burden is so heavily concentrated among children that greater emphasis must be placed on preventing long-term human capital loss, rather than focusing solely on adult productivity’.
The minister observed that most of this burden is driven by diarrhoeal pathogens, with over 40 million diarrhoeal illnesses in Nigeria linked to foodborne pathogens, including Salmonella, E. coli, Campylobacter, Shigella and rotavirus.
Noting that these infections continue to be a major cause of hospitalisation, malnutrition and mortality among Nigeria’s youngest citizens, Salako added that chemical hazards were also emerging as a serious concern, with lead exposure responsible for tens of thousands of healthy lives lost to illness, disability or early death, especially through contaminated grains, spices and water sources.
The minister explained that food safety is not only about preventing infections but also about ensuring that the food eaten does not contribute to the growing burden of non-communicable diseases.
He stressed that Nigeria faces a rising epidemic of hypertension, stroke, heart disease, diabetes and obesity, driven by unhealthy diets high in sodium, sugar and trans-fatty acids.
