Group Calls for Adequate Food Safety in Nigeria

The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) has called for an adequate food safety and quality control system to provide sustainable support to food producers and exporters in order to assure consumers of the safety of both local and imported food products.

Specifically, the Chief Executive Officer of NESG, Mr Laoye Jaiyeola, made the call at an expert forum to discuss the National Food Safety and Quality Bill 2022.

Speaking, Jaiyeola urged for the provision of safe and nutritious food for Nigerians, to reduce many illnesses and deaths which have adverse effects on the economy.

According to him, food-borne infections, which cause many illnesses and deaths each year and have adverse economic effects in both developing and developed countries, can be reduced by increasing the provision of safe and nutritious food.

Also, reiterating the challenges and risks food security poses to Nigeria and the world at large, he said, “Prior to the Russia Ukraine war, food insecurity was of serious global concern, and following the war, food availability has become a much more serious problem. How can we ensure that the food we consume is good enough? the level of malnutrition and the resultant effects of stunting and wasting indices show that we are far behind as our children don’t consume the adequate nutrients they need.”

Remarking, the Facilitator, NESG Agriculture and Food Security Policy Commission, Ms Gloria Ekpo, in her presentation on the “overview of the food safety control environment,” explained that Nigeria has a significant bacteria food borne disease problem that contributes to the country’s morbidity and mortality rates.

According to her, Nigeria’s food safety control environment is burdened with several issues, including poor agricultural practices, abuse of agrochemicals and lack of complete farm gate surveillance systems.

She added that the policy gaps in Nigeria’s food safety system show that legislation is fragmented, pointing out that ineffective partnerships amongst stakeholders also result in duplicity of functions.

Furthermore, Ekpo noted that the food sector is affected by the issues of administrative gaps, including a low number of food inspectors, inadequate knowledge of food manufacturing practices, poor and weak enforcement frameworks as well as socio-economic gaps such as religion, traditional belief systems, poverty and poor sensitization.

Agro Nigeria