Public Health: CAPPA, NAFDAC, others commit to sodium reduction, regulations

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has reiterated its support for the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)’s ongoing development of regulations aimed at protecting public health, as stakeholders rally behind sodium reduction policies.

According to  a statement signed and issued by

Media & Communications Officer, CAPPA, Robert Egbe said that the stakeholders  made this known during a one-day engagement, held in Lagos recently, convened by NAFDAC in collaboration with the Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED).

The Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, CAPPA’s gave the assurance during a stakeholders’ engagement on proposed regulations to reduce sodium in pre-packaged foods.

He congratulated NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, on the successes recorded under her leadership, adding that CAPPA would continue to support the agency’s public health mandate”.

Oluwafemi stated that “I want to assure you of our as commitment to advocacy that strengthens public health.

“ We stand with NAFDAC and will continue to do so as you take difficult but necessary decisions to protect the health of Nigerians.”

“We are delighted to be here today, and all I can say to you, Madam DG, is congratulations,”.

In her welcome address, Prof. Adeyeye said the engagement underscored the agency’s shared commitment with stakeholders to safeguarding public health and strengthening Nigeria’s food regulatory framework.

“As you are aware, diet-related non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and stroke are on the rise globally and within Nigeria,” she said. “Excessive sodium intake has been identified as one of the leading dietary risk factors contributing to these conditions.”

Speaking on the growing burden of non-communicable diseases, NHED’s Technical Advisor, Dr. Jerome Mafeni, warned that Nigeria is witnessing increasing incidences among younger populations, posing a significant threat to the country’s future.

In 2025, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMOH&SW) launched the National Sodium Reduction Guideline, to set mandatory sodium limits in processed and pre-packaged foods. The guideline aims to reduce average daily sodium intake to under 2 grams per person (equivalent to 5 grams of salt) by 2030, alongside a 25 per cent reduction in hypertension prevalence.

Global partners, including the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), the World Health Organisation (WHO), and Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL), described the engagement as timely and critical. They urged NAFDAC to sustain its efforts in safeguarding public health while commending the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare for its leadership.