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ABUJA – The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has launched a nationwide “Read the Food Label” campaign aimed at helping Nigerians make healthier food choices and reducing the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the country.
Director-General of NAFDAC, Mojisola Adeyeye, unveiled the initiative in Abuja on Friday, describing food labels as vital public health tools capable of preventing diet-related diseases.
According to her, the campaign will focus on public education, regulatory compliance training, and consumer surveys to improve transparency in the food sector and strengthen consumer safety.
Adeyeye raised concern over the high consumption of salt, sugar, unhealthy fats, and ultra-processed foods, warning that they are fueling the rise in hypertension, diabetes, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases across Nigeria.
She noted that non-communicable diseases now account for about 29 per cent of all deaths in the country, underscoring the urgency of empowering consumers with better nutrition information.
“The campaign aims to raise public awareness about the significance of reading and understanding food labels, and to empower consumers to make informed food choices,” she said.
“Food labels are powerful public health tools that provide vital safety and nutritional information to help consumers stay healthier.”
Adeyeye said many Nigerians struggle to interpret food labels due to the wide range of packaged products available in supermarkets, making consumer education increasingly necessary.
She stressed that reading food labels should become a national habit, adding that informed consumers are better equipped to avoid excessive intake of harmful nutrients such as sodium, sugar, trans fats, and saturated fats.
“The campaign complements existing regulations and seeks to create healthier food environments. It aligns with international commitments to empower consumers through better health and nutrition information,” she added.
She called on government institutions, healthcare professionals, academia, civil society groups, manufacturers, and the media to support the initiative.
The campaign is being implemented in partnership with Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), Resolve to Save Lives, Global Health Advocacy Incubator, the World Health Organization (WHO), and University of Abuja, among others.
Backing the initiative, WHO Country Representative to Nigeria, Pavel Ursu, represented by Technical Officer for Nutrition, Pinda Wakama, said the campaign comes at a critical time as Nigeria battles a growing NCD crisis.
He said the initiative would improve health literacy and help consumers identify unhealthy food products.
“By encouraging Nigerians to read food labels, NAFDAC is taking a practical step to address NCDs, including obesity and hypertension,” he said.
Ursu added that the campaign also sends a strong signal to food manufacturers to improve transparency and reformulate products in line with global health standards.
Also speaking, Executive Director of CAPPA, Oluwafemi Akinbode, represented by Abayomi Sarumi, described the initiative as a timely intervention against the growing influence of aggressively marketed ultra-processed foods and beverages.
Sarumi warned that the increasing consumption of such products is worsening Nigeria’s public health challenges.
“Understanding what is in those products is a public health necessity,” he said.
He added that reading food labels enables consumers to detect high levels of sugar, salt, and harmful fats that increase the risk of hypertension, obesity, diabetes, stroke, and heart disease.
He noted that the campaign aligns with CAPPA’s advocacy for healthier food policies that prioritize public health in Nigeria’s food system.
