By Obiabin Onukwugha
Civil society organizations (CSOs), have urged the federal government to regulate salt in-take through proper labeling and enforcement of national policies so as to achieve the targeted 30% reduction in salt intake by 2030.
According to the CSO, Nigeria faces a growing burden of non-communicable diseases, with 29% of deaths linked to hypertension, heart disease, and kidney failure.
The CSOs comprising Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED), Centre for Communication and Social Impact (CCSI), and Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), made the submissions in a statement to mark the 2026 World Consumer Rights Day.
They urged federal and state governments to enact mandatory salt targets and front-of-pack labelling for all processed and pre-packaged foods in the country, emphasising that Nigerians consume up to 10 grams of salt daily, nearly double the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s recommended 5 grams.
“Consumers cannot be confident about the products they buy if critical nutrition information is hidden or difficult to understand,” the groups said.
While commending the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMHSW) for launching the National Guidelines for Sodium Reduction (NGSR) in 2025, the organisations stressed that enforcement is necessary to protect consumers.
They noted that “many processed foods, including noodles, bread, bouillon cubes, frozen foods, salad dressings, and snacks, contain high salt levels, yet labels remain confusing or hard to find.”
The CSOs highlighted that mandatory front-of-pack labelling has proven effective in helping consumers quickly identify products high in salt, sugar, or unhealthy fats.
They called on relevant government agencies, including the National Agency for Food, Drugs, Agency and Control (NAFDAC), the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Council (FCCPC), and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), to enforce salt reduction, restrict marketing of ultraprocessed foods to children, strengthen monitoring, and scale public education campaigns.
“Food safety must go beyond contamination and extend to nutritional safety.When foods contain dangerously high levels of salt without clear warnings, consumers are denied their right to make informed choices about their health,” the CSOs said.
They also reaffirmed their commitment to working with government and civil society to ensure Nigeria’s food environment supports safe products and confident consumers.
“Protecting consumers means ensuring that the food sold in our markets supports health rather than undermines it. Policies that promote salt reduction and transparent food labelling are cost-effective tools for safeguarding the health of millions of Nigerians,” they stated.
