By Barikui Felix
As the world marked World Food Safety Day 2025 under the theme “Food Safety: Science in Action”, advocacy group Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has called on the Nigerian federal and state governments to implement stronger policies to promote healthy, indigenous diets and curb the spread of ultra-processed foods (UPFs), which are increasingly linked to the country’s growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
In a statement signed by its Media and Communications Officer, Robert Egbe, CAPPA warned that UPFs—typically high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats, and low in essential nutrients—are fast replacing traditional, nutritious diets and posing serious risks to food safety, public health, and national food sovereignty. Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and other junk foods, the organization said, are at the forefront of this shift.
To address this, CAPPA is advocating for the implementation of several evidence-based policies, including Front-of-Pack Warning Labels (FOPWL), mandatory sodium limits in packaged foods, a more effective SSB tax, and the development of a Nutrient Profile Model (NPM) to better regulate food quality and inform consumer choices.
“Ultra-processed foods are a threat to Nigeria’s food safety, security, and sovereignty,” said Akinbode Oluwafemi, Executive Director of CAPPA. “Policies that limit their consumption, especially among children, are essential to promoting national health and well-being.”
The group lamented that UPFs—such as instant noodles and sugary drinks—have not only become dietary staples in many Nigerian households and schools but are also the most accessible food items for millions of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and those in humanitarian crises.
“This normalization of junk food comes at a steep cost,” the statement added. “Our once-nutritious indigenous foods—rich in natural nutrients and traditionally protective against ailments like cancer and heart disease—are disappearing from the average Nigerian diet. Many of the crops used to prepare these meals are now endangered due to our increasing preference for imported and ultra-processed alternatives.”
Citing a 2024 report by the Biodiversity Education and Resource Centre in collaboration with Heinrich Böll Stiftung Nigeria, CAPPA highlighted that several traditional food sources—such as tropical almond, black velvet tamarind, oha leaves, African yam beans, and bambara groundnuts—are now considered endangered.
Based on its recent investigative report “Junk on Our Plates”, carried out across seven states, the organization accused food and beverage companies of aggressively marketing unhealthy products—particularly to children and young adults—while misleadingly branding them as “nutritious” or “natural.”
The report warned that this unchecked marketing, combined with weak regulatory oversight, the absence of FOPWL, and the ineffectiveness of Nigeria’s current N10/litre SSB tax, is undermining Nigerians’ ability to make informed dietary choices. This, in turn, increases their vulnerability to preventable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular illnesses.
“Front-of-Pack Warning Labels offer consumers clear and easily accessible information about the nutritional content of packaged foods,” said CAPPA. “The World Health Organization (WHO) has endorsed FOPWL as one of the most cost-effective strategies for preventing diet-related NCDs.”
The group also called for a significant increase in the SSB tax—from N10 to at least N130 per litre—noting that this would not only discourage excessive sugar consumption but also generate much-needed revenue for strengthening Nigeria’s public health system.
“Combining strong fiscal policies with transparent labelling and regulation is critical for protecting food safety and improving the health of Nigerians,” CAPPA concluded.
