The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC,
has warned members of the public against intake of excessive salts to avoid diet-related non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and stroke which experts say are on the increase globally including Nigeria.
The Director -General, NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye gave the warning in a message after a stakeholders’ meeting on the draft NAFDAC Reduction of Sodium in Pre-Packaged Foods Regulations 2026.
She noted that excessive sodium intake has been identified as one of the leading dietary risk factors contributing these conditions.
According to her, the World Health Organisation has continued to emphasize salt reduction as one of the cost-effective ways for improving population heath and preventing premature deaths from non-communicable diseases.
“In Nigeria, changing dietary patterns, rapid urbanization, increased consumption of processed and pre-packaged foods have to a large extent contributed to higher salt intake among our population”. Adeyeye
The NAFDAC boss added that in recognising the emerging public health concern, the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in partnership with NAFDAC has taken proactive steps to address the challenge.
“The Reduction of Salt in Prepackaged Foods Regulations 2026 is a key component of broader strategies to promote healthier diets and prevent non-communicable diseases”,Adeyemi stated
She explained that the regulations aim to establish maximum salt limits in selected categories of processed and pre-packaged foods, ensure clear and transparent labelling of sodium content, and encourage product reformulation by food manufacturers so that consumers can make healthier dietary choices.
The NAFDAC boss pointed out that, regulations alone cannot achieve the desired impact without the active participation of all stakeholders, stressing that, “the food industry especially plays a central role in reformulating products to reduce sodium content while maintaining safety, quality, and consumer acceptability”.
Professor Adeyeye urged Regulators, researchers, public health advocates, and consumer organisations to work together to ensure implementation, monitoring and compliance.
Explaining that, Cardiovascular Unit, University of Abuja that was present at the Meeting has worked with the FMOH&SW and NAFDAC on salt reduction and is in support of the regulations.
Partners such as Network for Health Equity and Development NHED resolve to Save Lives and Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa CAPPA who were present and supported the stakeholders’ engagement underscored the importance of reducing salt intake as a means of preventing non-communicable diseases.
She stated that the stakeholder meeting provided an important platform to
Present and clarify the key provisions of the proposed regulations, obtain constructive feedback from industry and other stakeholders and identify practical strategies for implementation.
Strengthen collaboration in advancing healthier food environments in Nigeria,
NAFDAC, DG explains, ‘we recognise that regulatory reforms must be evidence based, transparent, and inclusive. Our goal is not to disrupt industry operations, but to work with all partners to create a food system that supports both public health and sustainable economy.’
Prof Adeyeye stated that the reduction of salt in food supply is not merely a regulatory obligation, it is a national health priority, adding that ‘by taking decisive action, the future generations will be prevented from diseases and improve the overall wellbeing of Nigerians.’
Corroborating the point, the Director, Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (FSAN), Mrs Eva Edwards stated that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) remains a major public health concern in Nigeria, with cardiovascular diseases accounting for a significant proportion of mortality and morbidity.
For adults, she disclosed that the World Health Organization, WHO, recommends a daily salt intake of less than 2 grams, equivalent to 5 grams of salt (< 1 teaspoon of salt daily).
“Available data indicate that the average salt consumption in Nigeria is approximately 10 grams per day, about twice the WHO daily recommendation, adding that excessive intake poses serious risks to public health, particularly in the context of the increasing consumption of processed and ultra-processed foods, which are major contributors to dietary sodium intake”.Edwards explained
‘Pre-packaged foods constitute a substantial and growing proportion of daily dietary intake, especially in urban settings”.
Edwards noted that, although the foods are easily accessible, they also contribute to excessive sodium consumption, driving the scourge of cardiovascular diseases, hence there are deliberate and evidence-based measures implemented to reduce sodium levels in the products.
While sodium is essential for normal physiological functions such as nerve transmission, fluid balance, and muscle function, she warned that the quantity required by the body is minimal, stressing that the current consumption levels increases the risk of hypertension, stroke, heart disease, and kidney-related conditions.
She disclosed that evidence from the National Multi-sectoral Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (2019–2025) indicates that mean sodium intake in Nigeria ranges from approximately 2.85 g/day to 10 g/day – highlighting the urgent need for targeted regulatory and public health interventions.
‘The National Multi-sectoral Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases further identifies unhealthy diets as a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases and notes the ongoing dietary transition towards increased consumption of processed foods high in sodium, sugar, and trans fats.’
In recognition of the growing public health challenge, and as part of efforts to reduce sodium intake, Mrs Edwards stated that the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMoH&SW) initiated the development of the National Guidelines for Sodium Reduction, which provides specific sodium benchmarks for various food categories.
This will promote the reformulation of processed foods and encourage production of healthier options aligned with national health goals.
She emphasised that the draft NAFDAC Reduction of Sodium in Pre-Packaged Foods Regulations incorporates a phased sodium reduction strategy, beginning with an initial 15% reduction target and progress towards the national target which is aligned with the WHO global target of achieving a 30% reduction in population sodium intake by 2030.
According to Mrs Edwards, the Sodium Reduction Regulations represent a strategic regulatory response to meet the national target and address the public health concern of high sodium intake, stressing that the objective is to guide the food industry towards gradual product reformulation and the promotion of healthier food environments, “without compromising product quality or consumer acceptance, ultimately to protect the health of consumers”.
Noting that government alone cannot achieve the set goals, Mrs Edwards stated that it required the collective effort of policymakers, regulators, the food industry, public health advocates, academia and the consumers.