By Seun Ibiyemi
The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has urged Nigerians to renew their commitment to ensuring that every citizen has access to safe and wholesome food, stressing that food safety is a fundamental human right.
Adeyeye made the call on Monday during the 2026 World Food Safety Day celebration in Lagos, themed “From Burden to Solutions – Safe Food Everywhere.”
She said NAFDAC remained fully aligned with the global commitment to promoting food safety and protecting public health through stronger and more resilient food safety systems.
Represented by the Director of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (FSAN), Mrs. Eva Edwards, the NAFDAC boss said the agency joined the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Food Safety Management Committee and the international community in commemorating the day and reaffirming their shared responsibility to ensure safe and nutritious food.
She noted that World Food Safety Day, first observed in June 2019 following its proclamation by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2018, was established to raise awareness on food safety and promote efforts to prevent, detect and manage foodborne risks.
According to Adeyeye, foodborne illnesses cause more than 200 diseases worldwide, affecting public health, livelihoods, education and national economies, even though most cases are preventable through proper food handling, monitoring and coordinated action.
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She explained that food safety concerns every stage of the food supply chain, from agricultural production and harvesting to storage, transportation, processing, distribution, retailing and final consumption.
“Everyone has a critical role to play in ensuring that food is safe from farm to fork,” she said.
Adeyeye described this year’s theme as a call for practical and sustainable solutions to address food safety challenges, noting that unsafe food continues to contribute to foodborne illnesses, food insecurity, economic losses, food export rejections, food waste and avoidable deaths.
She said science-based regulation, food safety education, innovation, responsible practices and stronger collaboration among stakeholders would help transform food safety challenges into opportunities for improvement.
The NAFDAC Director-General stated that strengthening food safety remains vital to protecting public health, improving nutrition, facilitating trade and building confidence in Nigeria’s food system.
She added that as food supply chains become increasingly complex, the agency would continue to strengthen regulatory oversight, surveillance, laboratory capacity, industry compliance and public awareness.
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Adeyeye identified adherence to Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), Good Hygiene Practices (GHP), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Good Storage and Distribution Practices, implementation of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system, and sustained public education on the World Health Organisation’s Five Keys to Safer Food as essential measures for ensuring food safety.
She stressed that while NAFDAC remains committed to enforcing food safety standards, achieving safe food everywhere requires strong partnerships because food safety is a shared responsibility.
According to her, Nigeria has made notable progress by strengthening regulatory oversight, adopting preventive and risk-based approaches, improving public awareness and fostering stronger collaboration across sectors.
She urged Nigerians to remain vigilant by purchasing only properly labelled food products with valid NAFDAC registration numbers and traceable sources, noting that informed consumers play a vital role in safeguarding food safety.
