The director general of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, Tuesday cautioned Nigerians against excessive sodium intake.
The counsel is to avoid diet-related non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and stroke which she said are on the rise globally and in Nigeria.
Professor Adeyeye gave the admonition at a stakeholders engagement 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 to these conditions.
She said the World Health Organisation (WHO) has continued to emphasize sodium reduction as one of the cost-effective strategies for improving population heath and preventing premature deaths from non-communicable diseases.
In Nigeria, Professor Adeyeye said, changing dietary patterns, rapid urbanisation, and increased consumption of processed and pre-packaged foods have significantly contributed to higher sodium intake among our population.
She added that recognising this emerging public health concern, the federal government through the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and NAFDAC has taken proactive steps to address this challenge.
She stated that the Reduction of Sodium in Pe-Packaged Foods Regulations 2026 is a key component of broader strategies to promote healthier diets and prevent non-communicable diseases, adding that these regulations aim to establish maximum sodium limits in selected categories of processed and pre-packaged foods, ensure clear and transparent labeling of sodium content, and encourage product reformulation by food manufacturers so that consumers can make healthier dietary choices.
The NAFDAC boss, states that regulations alone cannot achieve the desired impact without the active participation of all stakeholders, adding that the food industry, especially plays a central role in reformulating products to reduce sodium content while maintaining safety, quality, and consumer acceptability.
She added that regulators, researchers, public health advocates, and consumer organisations must work collaboratively to ensure implementation, monitoring and compliance. Cardiovascular Unit, University of Abuja, that was present at the meeting has worked closely with the FMOH&SW and NAFDAC on sodium reduction.
