The National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Bayelsa State has partnered with a Non-Governmental Organisation, “I Care Save A Soul Initiative,” to launch a grassroots campaign aimed at reducing excessive salt intake in nine local communities, amidst rising cases of hypertension.
During a visit to the NOA office in Yenagoa, the NGO’s team, led by Comrade Princess Elizabeth, said the partnership was a “rescue mission” to address the silent but deadly health threat of uncontrolled salt consumption in rural Bayelsa.
Responding, the NOA State director, Mrs. Grace Olobio, pledged the agency’s full support, describing the campaign as timely.
She said one of the dangers of excessive salt intake was the risk of hypertension, which we are seeing more frequently in our communities.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that over 38 per cent of Nigerian adults suffer from high blood pressure, while a 2023 study by the Nigerian Heart Foundation placed the number of hypertensive Nigerians at over 30 million.
The campaign will deploy NOA’s grassroots network, including community mobilisation officers, traditional media, and local influencers, to sensitise residents on dietary changes and the dangers of excessive salt use.
The initiative aims to achieve at least a 20% reduction in salt intake among participating households and increase awareness of the cases of hypertension, with organisers hoping to expand the project to more local governments if the pilot phase proves successful.
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