World food safety day: NAFDAC reiterates commitment to safe food, eliminating foodborne diseases

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has called on Nigerians to renew their commitment to ensuring that every citizen across the country has access to safe and wholesome food, aiming to eliminate the heavy burden of foodborne illnesses.

Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the NAFDAC Director-General, made the call on Monday during the agency’s celebration of the 2026 World Food Safety Day in Lagos.

This year’s event was themed, “From Burden to Solutions – Safe Food Everywhere.”

Prof. Adeyeye, who was represented at the event by the Director of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Mrs. Eva Edwards, emphasized that access to safe food is an absolute imperative and a fundamental human right.

The NAFDAC boss explained that unsafe food remains a staggering public health challenge that triggers over 200 different diseases globally, severely impacting livelihoods, education, and the national economy.

“The theme challenges us to focus on practical and sustainable solutions that will ensure safe food for everyone, everywhere.”

“Unsafe food remains a major public health burden which has affected millions of lives globally through preventable foodborne illnesses, food insecurity, economic losses, and reduced productivity. It also contributes to food export rejects, food waste, and sadly, loss of lives,” Adeyeye said.

According to her, every individual along the food supply chain including farmers, harvesters, transporters, processors, wholesalers, retailers, and consumers has a distinct role to play in mitigating these risks from farm to fork.

She explained that achieving safe food everywhere requires intentional, sustained actions and strict adherence to international best practices, including Good Agricultural Practices, Good Hygiene Practices, Good Manufacturing Practices, and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) systems.

“The role of our agency as a competent authority for food safety in Nigeria is anchored on verifying that food products available to the Nigerian public meet the applicable international and national standards for safety and quality,” she stated, adding that achieving total safety requires strong partnerships across all sectors.

While highlighting NAFDAC’s shift from reactive monitoring to preventive, risk-based regulatory systems, she noted that the message of this year’s theme is clear. It calls on stakeholders to move from simply recognizing the burden of foodborne diseases caused by unsafe food to actively implementing solutions that protect communities and strengthen food systems.

Prof. Adeyeye concluded by urging Nigerians to remain highly vigilant in the marketplace and to strictly avoid purchasing any food or drug products that lack proper labeling, traceable sources, or valid NAFDAC registration numbers.