The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, on Monday urged Nigerians to renew their commitment to ensuring that everyone has access to safe and wholesome food, stressing that food safety is a fundamental human right.
Speaking at the agency’s 2026 World Food Safety Day celebration in Lagos, Adeyeye said achieving safe food across the country requires collective action by government, industry, food handlers and consumers.
Represented by the Director of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Mrs Eva Edwards, the NAFDAC boss said the 2026 theme, “From Burden to Solutions – Safe Food Everywhere,” calls for practical and sustainable measures to tackle foodborne diseases and strengthen Nigeria’s food safety system.
She noted that World Food Safety Day, first observed in 2019 following its proclamation by the United Nations General Assembly, underscores the global commitment to protecting public health through safe food.
According to her, NAFDAC aligns with that commitment by working with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Food Safety Management Committee and international partners to promote stronger and more resilient food safety systems.
Adeyeye described safe food as an imperative and a fundamental human right, adding that protecting public health requires stronger regulatory systems and shared responsibility across the food value chain.
She explained that food safety concerns everyone involved in the food supply chain, from agricultural production, harvesting and storage to transportation, processing, distribution, retail, food service establishments and consumers.
“Everyone has a critical role to play in ensuring that food is safe from farm to fork,” she said.
The NAFDAC DG warned that unsafe food remains a major public health burden, contributing to preventable foodborne illnesses, food insecurity, economic losses, reduced productivity, export rejections, food waste and avoidable deaths.
“The theme challenges us to focus on practical and sustainable solutions that will ensure safe food for everyone, everywhere,” she said, adding that science-based regulation, education, responsible practices, innovation and collaboration are key to improving food safety.
She said strengthening food safety remains critical to protecting Nigerians, improving nutrition, supporting trade and building confidence in the country’s food system.
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Adeyeye added that as food supply chains become increasingly complex, the agency would continue strengthening regulatory systems, surveillance, laboratory capacity, industry compliance and public awareness.
She listed good agricultural practices, good hygiene practices, good manufacturing practices, proper storage and distribution, implementation of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points systems, and public education on the World Health Organisation’s five keys to safer food as essential measures for achieving safe food nationwide.
According to her, NAFDAC’s role as the country’s food safety regulatory authority is to ensure that food products available to Nigerians comply with national and international safety and quality standards.
She, however, stressed that regulation alone cannot guarantee food safety, noting that stronger partnerships among government agencies, industry operators and consumers are essential.
Adeyeye said Nigeria has made progress by shifting from reactive to preventive food safety systems through stronger regulatory oversight, risk-based approaches, improved public awareness and enhanced collaboration across sectors.
She urged Nigerians to remain vigilant by avoiding food products without proper labelling, NAFDAC registration numbers or traceable sources, noting that informed consumers are critical to safeguarding public health.
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