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HEALTH GROUPS URGE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO FAST-TRACK SODIUM REDUCTION AS NIGERIA MARKS WORLD SALT AWARENESS WEEK 2026*
By Prince Benson Davies
As World Salt Awareness Week 2026 gets underway, the Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED), Centre for Communication and Social Impact (CCSI), and Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) are pressing the Federal Government to move quickly on sodium reduction policies and guarantee Nigerians access to safe, nutritious food. The coalition said the annual campaign is a critical opportunity to confront excessive salt consumption, a major driver of hypertension, stroke, heart disease, kidney failure and other non-communicable diseases across the country.
In a joint statement released on Tuesday, the organisations said this year’s theme, “6 Ways to 6 Grams,” underscores the practical steps governments, industry, communities and individuals must take to cut daily salt intake to the recommended threshold of five grams or less.
The groups warned that Nigeria is facing an escalating public health challenge tied to diets high in ultra-processed foods loaded with sodium, sugar and unhealthy fats. Citing publicly available data, they noted that Nigerians consume an estimated 3.8 grams of sodium, or about 10 grams of salt, daily, almost double the World Health Organisation’s recommended limit of 2 grams of sodium per day.
“Excess salt consumption is no longer a silent issue. It is now a major public health emergency contributing to the alarming rise in hypertension and cardiovascular diseases across the country,” said Babafunke Fagbemi, Executive Director of CCSI.
She emphasised that reducing sodium intake must become a national health priority, backed by enforceable policies that include mandatory sodium targets, front-of-pack warning labels, and stronger public awareness campaigns.
Dr Jerome Mafeni, Technical Advisor of NHED, noted that Nigeria’s healthcare system is already under pressure from the growing burden of non-communicable diseases and may struggle to cope with the long-term social and economic costs if urgent preventive measures are not implemented.
Speaking on behalf of CAPPA, its Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, noted that while efforts to address micronutrient deficiencies are important, nutrition policies must also remain aligned with broader public health goals.
“As Nigeria responds to nutrition challenges, we must also ensure that food policies do not unintentionally encourage increased consumption of ultra-processed foods linked to rising cases of diet-related non-communicable diseases,” he said.
The organisations urged the Federal Government, particularly the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), and other key stakeholders to take proactive steps to protect Nigerians from harmful food environments.
Among other measures, the coalition demanded the enforcement of mandatory salt targets for processed foods, front-of-pack warning labels on ultra-processed products, greater public education campaigns on the dangers of excessive salt consumption, and increased support for healthier food environments.
The groups also urged Nigerians to adopt healthier dietary habits by incorporating natural spices such as ginger, curry, fish powders, turmeric, amongst others, reducing the use of added salt and seasoning cubes, increasing consumption of fresh foods, fruits and vegetables, and paying closer attention to food labels for healthier options.
Beyond individual action, the coalition stressed that government leadership remains central to reshaping Nigeria’s food landscape. It called for coordinated regulatory frameworks that compel industry compliance, fiscal measures that discourage high-sodium products, and sustained funding for community nutrition programs that reach underserved populations.
World Salt Awareness Week 2026 runs from May 11 to 17, 2026, with a global call to “Salt It Out” to prevent hypertension, heart disease, stroke and kidney damage. The three organisations reaffirmed their commitment to working with policymakers, health professionals and civil society to push sodium reduction to the top of Nigeria’s public health agenda.
