The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has launched its “Read the Food Label” campaign aimed at helping Nigerians make informed food choices and reduce the growing burden of non-communicable diseases.

Speaking at the launch in Abuja, NAFDAC Director-General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, described food labels as powerful public health tools that provide consumers with vital nutritional and safety information needed to make healthier dietary decisions.

She said the campaign would focus on public education, regulatory compliance training and consumer surveys to improve awareness and encourage a nationwide culture of reading food labels before purchasing or consuming packaged foods.

According to Adeyeye, the initiative is part of efforts to address rising cases of non-communicable diseases, which account for about 29 per cent of all deaths in Nigeria. She noted that excessive consumption of salt, sugar, saturated fats, trans fats and highly processed foods contributes significantly to the prevalence of conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, stroke and heart disease.

The NAFDAC boss explained that understanding food labels could play a crucial role in disease prevention and management, while also encouraging food manufacturers to improve transparency and product quality.

She disclosed that the campaign is being supported by several organisations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), Resolve to Save Lives, Global Health Advocacy Incubator and the University of Abuja.

Adeyeye called on government agencies, healthcare professionals, academic institutions, civil society groups, industry stakeholders and consumer associations to support the initiative and help amplify its message across the country.

Also speaking, the WHO Country Representative in Nigeria, Dr. Pavel Ursu, represented by Technical Officer for Nutrition, Dr. Pinda Wakama, said the campaign was both timely and strategic given the rising burden of non-communicable diseases in Nigeria.

He noted that encouraging consumers to read and understand nutrition information on packaged foods would improve health literacy, promote healthier eating habits and support efforts to reduce obesity, hypertension and other diet-related illnesses.

The WHO official added that the initiative aligns with global efforts to reduce salt consumption, improve food labelling standards and promote healthier diets, while supporting Nigeria’s national action plan on non-communicable disease prevention and control.

Similarly, the Executive Director of Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), Oluwafemi Akinbode, represented by Abayomi Sarumi, described the campaign as a significant step towards protecting consumers from misleading marketing practices associated with ultra-processed foods and beverages.

He stressed that understanding food labels would enable consumers to identify products with high levels of sugar, salt and unhealthy fats, thereby helping them make healthier choices and reduce the risk of diet-related diseases.

Akinbode added that the initiative aligns with CAPPA’s advocacy for healthier food policies and stronger consumer protection measures in Nigeria.