Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has reaffirmed its backing for the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)'s initiative to regulate sodium levels in processed foods. Akinbode Oluwafemi, CAPPA's Executive Director, made the commitment during a stakeholders' meeting convened by NAFDAC and the Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED) in Lagos on Wednesday, April 1, 2026. He praised NAFDAC's Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, for her leadership, stating, "We stand with NAFDAC and will continue to do so as you take difficult but necessary decisions to protect the health of Nigerians."
Prof. Adeyeye highlighted the rising burden of diet-related non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and stroke, linking them directly to excessive sodium consumption. The 2025 National Sodium Reduction Guideline, launched by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMOH&SW), sets mandatory limits on sodium in processed foods with the goal of reducing daily intake to under 2 grams per person by 2030. Dr. Jerome Mafeni, Technical Advisor at NHED, noted increasing cases of these diseases among younger Nigerians. Global partners including the World Health Organization (WHO), Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL), and the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) commended the ongoing efforts.
Akinbode Oluwafemi's public show of support for NAFDAC reveals how rare alignment between civil society and regulators has become. The fact that advocacy groups must rally behind a basic public health measure like sodium reduction suggests how far behind Nigeria is in tackling preventable diseases. With hypertension already affecting millions, the real test is whether these proposed rules will be enforced—or join the pile of well-intentioned guidelines that change little on the ground.
