CSOs demand mandatory salt targets, warning labels to protect Nigerians from NCDs

By Martin Metieh

As Nigeria joins the global community to mark World Consumer Rights Day themed “Safe Products, Confident Consumers”, the Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED), the Centre for Communication and Social Impact (CCSI), and Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) are calling on the Federal and state governments to prioritise public health by enacting mandatory salt targets and front-of-pack labelling (FOPL) for all processed and pre-packaged foods to protect consumers from preventable diet-related diseases.

In a joint statement to mark the day, the coalition noted that Nigeria struggles with a rising tide of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), with 29% of all deaths in the country now linked to conditions such as hypertension, heart disease, and kidney failure. A major driver of this crisis, the groups argued, is the excessive consumption of salt, with the average Nigerian consuming up to 10 grams of salt daily, nearly double the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s limit of 5 grams per day.

Under the 2026 global theme of “Safe Products”, the public health advocates reiterated that consumer rights are human rights, and the government must acknowledge that a product high in hidden salts, which fuels disease, is not safe.

Nigerians, they stressed, deserve to know exactly what is in their food through clear, easy-to-understand warning labels on the front of packages, not buried in complex technical jargon written at the back of the pack, leaving consumers vulnerable to false claims and deceptive marketing tactics by the food industry.

While commending the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMOHSW) for launching the National Guidelines for Sodium Reduction in 2025, they stressed that the government must move from guidelines to enforcement to achieve the national goal of a 30% reduction in Nigeria’s salt intake by 2030.

“Consumers cannot be confident about the products they buy if critical nutrition information is hidden or difficult to understand,” the partners said. “Clear front-of-pack labelling and meaningful salt reduction policies are essential tools to help Nigerians identify unhealthy products and make better dietary choices.”

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Citing excess salt consumption as a major driver of hypertension, stroke, heart disease and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs), NHED, CSSI and CAPPA noted that many processed and packaged foods – including noodles, salad dressings, frozen foods, snacks, bouillon cubes, bread among others, contain high levels of salt, but that consumers struggle to identify these products due to complex or poorly visible nutrient fact labels.

They emphasised that mandatory front-of-pack labelling – which uses simple and visible warnings or interpretive symbols on food packages – has proven effective in helping consumers quickly determine whether a product is high in salt, sugar, or unhealthy fats.

“Food safety must go beyond contamination and extend to nutritional safety,” the statement added. “When foods contain dangerously high levels of salt without clear warnings, consumers are denied their right to make informed choices about their health.”

They therefore urged Nigerian authorities, including the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Council (FCCPC) and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria to enforce mandatory salt targets, implement front-of-pack warning labels, restrict the marketing of ultraprocessed foods to children, strengthen product monitoring and enforcement mechanisms, and scale public education campaigns to encourage healthy dietary behaviours.

The coalition emphasised that such measures are consistent with global best practices and are crucial for addressing Nigeria’s rising burden of non-communicable diseases. They called on consumers to exercise their power by reading food labels and demanding healthier options from manufacturers.

The organisations reaffirmed their commitment to working with government agencies, public health experts, and civil society partners to ensure that the country’s food environment supports safe products and confident consumers.

“Protecting consumers means ensuring that the food sold in our markets supports health rather than undermines it,” the groups added. “Policies that promote salt reduction and transparent food labelling are cost-effective tools for safeguarding the health of millions of Nigerians.” It is time to put the health of the Nigerian consumer above the profits of the ultraprocessed food industry.