FG Unveils Plan to Prosecute Food Offenders as 53,000 Die Annually from Unsafe Food

The Federal Government has unveiled a multi-pronged action plan to tackle food contamination and harmful food-handling practices blamed for 50 million foodborne illnesses and 53,000 deaths in Nigeria annually.

The plan was announced by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Udeh, at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, ValidViewNetwork reports.

THE PLAN

Udeh said the government would strengthen enforcement, engage food science professionals, promote new technologies, and improve food packaging to address the public health challenge.

The plan includes cooperation among regulatory agencies, a stakeholders’ conference, and the adoption of a food safety procedure manual developed by the Nigerian Council of Food Science and Technology (NiCFoST).

Udeh said his ministry would collaborate with the Ministry of Justice and the Attorney-General of the Federation to prosecute people involved in food contamination and adulteration.

Offenders convicted under the relevant provisions would face penalties ranging from six months to two years’ imprisonment .

THE HARMFUL PRACTICES

The Registrar of NiCFoST, Mrs Veronica Ezeh, identified several processing and preservation practices that the council wanted stopped:

· Artificially ripening fruits with calcium carbide

· Applying dichlorvos, commonly known as Sniper, to beans and grains

· Using paracetamol as a meat tenderiser

· Using detergents and bleaching agents during cassava processing

· Adulterating palm oil with prohibited colourants such as Sudan IV dye

Ezeh said these practices had contributed to liver cirrhosis, kidney diseases, cancer, and damage to other vital organs .

THE GLOBAL CONTEXT

Citing World Health Organisation findings, Udeh said about 866 million people worldwide suffered foodborne illnesses in 2021, resulting in 1.52 million deaths, including 143,000 deaths among children younger than five, with an estimated global economic burden of $310 billion .

He cited reported deaths in Kogi and Ondo states as examples of the dangers associated with contaminated food and drinks.

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Five members of a family died in Kogi State in August 2026 after consuming fufu processed from cassava flour.

In Ondo State, 49 fatalities in September were linked to methanol contamination of locally prepared alcoholic and herbal drinks .

THE CALL FOR VIGILANCE

Udeh called for the deployment of qualified food science and technology professionals at the grassroots to strengthen inspection of markets, restaurants, abattoirs, and food processing centres.

“If you see something, you say something. The eyes of the government are the eyes of everyone. If we see and do not report, how would people know? How would those that enforce know?” he said .

HHE ANALYTICAL LENS

The FG’s plan is comprehensive on paper. It addresses the problem from multiple angles: enforcement, prosecution, professional engagement, and public awareness.

It acknowledges the scale of the crisis,.50 million illnesses, 53,000 deaths, and it names the culprits: carbide, paracetamol, Sniper, Sudan IV.

But the plan is not new. The Senate held an investigative hearing on the same practices in 2025. It found the same culprits. It recommended stiffer penalties.

And yet, in November 2026, the Federal Government is unveiling another plan to tackle the same problem.

The issue is not a lack of knowledge. It is a lack of enforcement. NAFDAC and other agencies have been praised for their raids, but raids alone cannot eliminate a problem rooted in a weak food safety culture, poor regulation, and the desperation of traders trying to survive in a harsh economy.

The plan has been unveiled. The offenders have been warned. The question is whether anyone will act before the next family is poisoned. ValidViewNetwork reports.