NAFDAC launches national campaign encouraging Nigerians to read food labels

The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has launched the national “Read the Food Label” campaign, urging Nigerians to make reading food labels a daily habit to curb the growing burden of diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Speaking virtually at the official flag-off of the campaign, Adeyeye described food labels as critical public health tools that provide consumers with essential information needed to make healthier food choices, stressing that reading food labels should become a shared responsibility for everyone purchasing packaged foods.

She said the initiative, developed in collaboration with government institutions, development partners, academia and civil society organisations, aims to equip Nigerians with the knowledge to understand nutrition information and make informed purchasing decisions.

She said food labels are more than regulatory requirements or information panels displayed on food packages and they are powerful public health tools, noting that consumers should pay close attention to ingredients, sugar, sodium, saturated fats, trans fats and allergen information before buying food products.

Adeyeye recalled that caring for a child who reacted to a food additive first made her appreciate the importance of carefully reading food labels, a practice she said she continues whenever shopping.

She expressed concern over the growing prevalence of non-communicable diseases in Nigeria, citing World Health Organisation data showing that NCDs account for about 29 per cent of all deaths in the country.

“Cardiovascular diseases account for 11 per cent of those deaths, cancers four per cent, chronic respiratory diseases two per cent and diabetes one per cent.”

According to her, excessive consumption of salt, sugar, saturated fats, trans fats and highly processed foods contributes significantly to the disease burden, making food label literacy increasingly important.

“For individuals living with hypertension, diabetes, obesity and food allergies, the ability to read and use food labels effectively can have a direct impact on disease prevention and management,” she said.

The NAFDAC chief disclosed that the agency has been working with food manufacturers to gradually reduce salt content in processed foods as part of broader efforts to promote healthier diets and reduce cardiovascular diseases.

She said, the “Read the Food Label” campaign is designed as a long-term public health intervention that will institutionalise a national culture of reading food labels through sustained public education, stakeholder engagement, consumer awareness programmes, regulatory monitoring, and integration into NAFDAC Consumer Safety Clubs, the National Youth Service Corps and community development initiatives.

Adeyeye added that the campaign aligns with global commitments under the Second International Conference on Nutrition held in Rome in 2014, which encourages governments to empower consumers through improved nutrition information and food labelling.

She urged Nigerians to always check ingredient lists and nutrition panels before purchasing packaged foods and called on parents, schools, healthcare professionals, manufacturers, civil society organisations and the media to support efforts to improve nutrition literacy nationwide.

“Before you buy it, read it. Before you eat it, understand it,” she said.

The NAFDAC Director-General also acknowledged the support of Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), the Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED), the University of Abuja and the Food Health System Advisory for supporting the initiative.

Earlier, representatives of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the World Health Organisation (WHO), Resolve to Save Lives, NHED, the University of Abuja and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security pledged support for the campaign.

Speaking on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Mrs. Olufunmilola Adegbite said the campaign would complement national efforts to reduce hypertension, diabetes, obesity and other diet-related diseases by encouraging Nigerians to examine the nutritional content of packaged foods before purchase.

Representing the WHO Country Representative, Dr. Parvel Ursu, Dr. Pinda said the initiative aligns with WHO’s global recommendations for preventing non-communicable diseases through healthier diets and improved food labelling, adding that consumer education is essential to creating a healthier food environment and improving accountability across Nigeria’s food system.

Other stakeholders described the campaign as a major step towards improving nutrition literacy and reducing the burden of diet-related non-communicable diseases through informed consumer choices.

Country Director of NHED, Dr. Emmanuel Sokpo, said the initiative would help foster a culture of informed decision-making and healthier eating habits among Nigerians.

“The ‘Read the Food Label’ campaign is about building a culture of informed decision-making and healthier dietary habits. More importantly, it represents a critical step towards creating a food environment where people are empowered with the information they need to make healthier choices, contributing to stronger food systems and improved health outcomes for all Nigerians,” he said.

Also speaking, CAPPA Executive Director Akinbode Oluwafemi, represented by the organisation’s Associate Director and Healthy Food Policy Manager, Abayomi Sarumi, described the campaign as a timely intervention that would empower Nigerians to make informed food choices.

He warned that Nigerian consumers are increasingly exposed to aggressively marketed ultra-processed food and beverage products, which are fuelling the country’s growing burden of non-communicable diseases.

According to him, reading food labels is now a public health necessity because it enables consumers to identify products containing high levels of sugar, salt, trans fats and other nutrients associated with hypertension, diabetes, obesity, stroke and heart disease.

Oluwafemi commended NAFDAC for promoting consumer awareness and healthier dietary habits, saying the campaign aligns with CAPPA’s advocacy for food policies that prioritise public health. He reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to working with NAFDAC and other stakeholders to promote healthier food environments and policies that safeguard Nigerians’ health.

Similarly, Executive Director of Resolve to Save Lives Nigeria, Mrs. Nanlop Ogbureke, described the campaign as a significant milestone in advancing public awareness, consumer protection and healthier food environments.

She said the initiative would equip Nigerians with the knowledge and confidence to understand the nutritional content of packaged foods, enabling them to make healthier decisions for themselves and their families.

Ogbureke observed that although food labels contain valuable nutritional information, many consumers still struggle to interpret them because of technical language, small print and the complexity of nutrition information.

She said this often results in consumers overlooking critical information on sodium, sugar and unhealthy fats at the point of purchase, underscoring the need for sustained public education through the campaign.