The Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye has cautioned Nigerians against excessive sodium intake to avoid diet-related non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and stroke which she said are on the rise globally and within Nigeria.

Prof Adeyeye gave the admonition at a stakeholders’ engagement on the draft NAFDAC Reduction of Sodium in Pre-Packaged Foods Regulations 2026 where she noted that excessive sodium intake has been identified as one of the leading dietary risk factors contributing to these conditions.

According to her, the World Health Organisation 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, Prof 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 maintained 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 labelling of sodium content, and encourage product reformulation by food manufacturers so that consumers can make healthier dietary choices.

The NAFDAC boss, however, pointed out that, regulations alone cannot achieve the desired impact without the active participation of all stakeholders, stressing that the food industry especially plays a central role in reformulating products to reduce sodium content while maintaining safety, quality, and consumer acceptability.

At the same time, she emphasized 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 is in support of the regulations.

Partners such as Network for Health Equity and Development NHED resolve to Save Lives and Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa CAPPA who were present and supported the stakeholders’ engagement underscored the importance of reducing sodium intake as a means of preventing non-communicable diseases.

She added that the stakeholder engagement therefore provides an invaluable platform to:

• Present and clarify the key provisions of the proposed regulations.

• Obtain constructive feedback from industry and other stakeholders.

• Identify practical strategies for implementation.

• Strengthen collaboration in advancing healthier food environments in Nigeria.

At NAFDAC, DG explained, ‘we recognise that regulatory reforms must be evidence-based, transparent, and inclusive. Our goal is not to disrupt industry operations, but to work with all partners to create a food system that supports both public health and sustainable economy.’

Prof Adeyeye stated that the reduction of sodium in our food supply is not merely a regulatory obligation – it is a national health priority, adding that ‘by taking decisive action today, we are protecting future generations from preventable diseases and improving the overall wellbeing of Nigerians.’

The Director, Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (FSAN), Mrs Eva Edwards, corroborated the DG’s position as she stated that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) remain a major public health concern in Nigeria, with cardiovascular diseases accounting for a significant proportion of morbidity and mortality.

For adults, she disclosed that the World Health Organization recommends a daily sodium intake of less than 2 grams, equivalent to 5 grams of salt (< 1 teaspoon of salt daily).

She however, revealed that available data indicate that the average salt consumption in Nigeria is approximately 10 grams per day, about twice the WHO daily recommendation, adding that this excessive intake poses a serious risk to public health, particularly in the context of the increasing consumption of processed and ultra-processed foods, which are major contributors to dietary sodium intake.

‘Pre-packaged foods constitute a substantial and growing proportion of daily dietary intake, especially in urban settings. While these foods provide convenience and accessibility, they also contribute significantly to excessive sodium consumption, driving the scourge of cardiovascular diseases,’ adding that it is therefore imperative that deliberate and evidence-based measures are implemented to reduce sodium levels in these products.

While sodium is essential for normal physiological functions such as nerve transmission, fluid balance, and muscle function, she warned that the quantity required by the body is minimal, noting that current consumption levels far exceed physiological needs, thereby increasing the risk of hypertension, stroke, heart disease, and kidney-related conditions.

She disclosed that evidence from the National Multi-sectoral Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (2019–2025) indicates that mean sodium intake in Nigeria ranges from approximately 2.85 g/day to 10 g/day – highlighting the urgent need for targeted regulatory and public health interventions.

‘The National Multi-sectoral Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases further identifies unhealthy diets as a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases and notes the ongoing dietary transition towards increased consumption of processed foods high in sodium, sugar, and trans fats.’

In recognition of this growing public health challenge, and as part of efforts to reduce sodium intake, Mrs Edwards stated that the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMoH&SW) initiated the development of the National Guidelines for Sodium Reduction, which provides specific sodium benchmarks for various food categories. She said this is aimed at promoting the reformulation of processed foods and encouraging the production of healthier options aligned with national health goals.

She emphasised that the draft NAFDAC Reduction of Sodium in Pre-Packaged Foods Regulations therefore incorporates a phased sodium reduction strategy, beginning with an initial 15% reduction target and progressing toward the national target which is aligned with the WHO global target of achieving a 30% reduction in population sodium intake by 2030.

According to Mrs Edwards, the Sodium Reduction Regulations represent a strategic regulatory response to meet the national target and address the public health concern of high sodium intake, stressing that the objective is to guide the food industry towards gradual product reformulation and the promotion of healthier food environments, without compromising product quality or consumer acceptance, ultimately to protect the health of consumers.

Noting that government alone cannot achieve this, Mrs Edwards stated that it requires the collective effort of policymakers, regulators, the food industry, public health advocates, academia, and consumers.

The Director General rounded up the meeting by emphasizing the importance of the stakeholders meeting stating that inputs received are used to further edit the draft regulations before the document goes to the NAFDAC Governing Council for further assessment.

Thereafter, the regulations are given additional review by FMoH&SW and Ministry of Justice before gazetting. Meanwhile, the food industry is made aware of the development of the regulations and the expectations in the planned phased reduction of sodium content in processed foods as means of prevention of non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and other heart diseases in the population.