The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has issued a critical warning regarding the federal government’s initiatives to combat excessive salt consumption in food products.
Akinbode Oluwafemi, the organization’s Executive Director, emphasized that these efforts could be undermined if the media fails to hold powerful food corporations accountable for their interference in public health policies.
Speaking at a one-day journalism training session focused on Salt Reduction, Nutrient Profile Models (NPM), and Front of Pack Warning Labels (FOPWL) in Nigeria, Oluwafemi highlighted the alarming rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the country, which account for nearly 29 percent of annual deaths.
“The most prevalent conditions, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, and chronic respiratory diseases, are now urgent public health crises,” he stated. He particularly noted that hypertension affects around 30 percent of all adults in Nigeria, as reported in the 2025 State of Health of the Nation report.
Oluwafemi identified excessive salt intake as one of the primary risk factors contributing to these NCDs, mainly stemming from prepackaged and ultra-processed foods. He criticized the aggressive marketing tactics employed by large food corporations, which often target children, underscoring that these companies prioritize profits over public health.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the recommended maximum daily salt intake is five grams. However, recent data indicate that Nigerians consume approximately 10 grams daily. This excessive consumption, he noted, is often disguised in commonplace products such as seasoning cubes, instant noodles, snacks, breads, sauces, and beverages.
Oluwafemi stated: “These products are often marketed as convenient and modern, yet their nutritional realities are either unclear, hidden, or entirely absent. There is clearly a case for policy intervention to stem this tide and protect Nigerians.
“Last year, the Nigerian government reflected on the problem and launched the National Sodium Reduction Guidelines as part of a comprehensive strategy to combat non-communicable diseases by setting salt targets for priority food categories.
“The Guidelines, Nutrient Profile Models and the push for mandatory front-of-pack warning labels are confirmed steps toward a healthier Nigeria.
“However, these steps are at risk of derailment if the public does not understand them, and if the media fails to hold powerful corporations accountable for interfering in these policies.”
Oluwafemi noted the workshop was designed to give journalists the facts, the context, and the tools to interrogate these issues in their reports.
According to him, when you explain how much salt is hidden in everyday foods – seasoning cubes, instant noodles, bread, sauces – you change the conversation in homes and markets; when you investigate who funds research or shapes regulation, you expose the conflicts that slow progress.
“When you tell stories that centre people rather than profits, you help build the public will that makes policy change and enforcement possible,” Oluwafemi explained.
The Food Safety Technical Lead, Federal Ministry of Health, Femi Stephen said the ministry has done quite a number of things over the last few years to reduce sodium in our diet.
He noted this included the development of national guidelines for sodium reduction, which really talks about the reduction of sodium in the food consumed to about 30 per cent over the next five years.
Stephen added: “It also talks about developing a knowledge base for the population, so they can be able to identify the type of foods they are supposed to consume. So chief of which is the front-of-park labeling that the ministry has also led through the inauguration of the front-of-park legal, technical committee last year.”
He explained that the committee has also commenced development or the research on front-of-pack label design, which is currently ongoing in the country.
“We’ve seen that it leads to a lot of hypertension cases, and we found out that by reducing sodium, we can reduce hypertension, cases, cardiovascular diseases, stroke, even death,” Stephen noted.
In conclusion, Oluwafemi urged the media to play a pivotal role in investigating and reporting on corporate practices that threaten public health initiatives. Without accountability, he warned, progress toward reducing salt intake and improving health outcomes could be severely compromised.
