The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Geoffrey Nnaji, said that 200,000 Nigerians lose their lives due to diseases transmitted by food every year, warning that the federal government will now fulfill the entire force of the law against those who participate in the illegal and unusual activities of contamination and food adulteration.
NNAJI declared that the statistics of the World Health Organization (WHO) indicated that food transmitted by more than 600 million people worldwide every year, which resulted in 200,000 deaths, mainly in Nigeria and 420,000 deaths throughout sub -Saharan Africa.
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The minister, who spoke at the official launch of the Food Security Operational Manual and the training of the Officers of the Food Security Table in Abuja, said that his ministry and agencies, especially the Food Science and Technology Council of Nigeria (Nicofst), are currently strengthening their regulatory supervision in the nation where food security supervision is weaker.
NNAJI, represented by the general director of the Nigerian Construction and Research Research Institute, Professor Samson Duna, declared that food security is more than a health concern, but a national security priority, imperative of development and catalyst for inclusive growth in alignment with the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
According to him, food security is a company promoted by science and directed its agencies and research institutions in the ministry that develop profitable technologies for food preservation and quality guarantee, promote indigenous innovations that respect the culinary diversity of Nigeria and display mobile and digital training tools for informal vendors of informal foods in rural and urban areas.
The minister chose the registrar, Mrs. Veronica Ezeh, and her management team for her “dedication, professionalism and forecast in the development of this first food security operating manual.”
Previously, Nicfost's registrar/CEO, Mrs. Veronica Ezeh, warned food vendors, restaurants and food business operators that give up food adulteration acts and other little ethical practices that violate the Nigerian Constitution and endanger public health.
Ezeh said that the common adulteration of food and other little ethical practices include washing fruits and vegetables with detergents so that they look fresh and attractive, eliminating the skin of animals with burning tires, using carbides to mature fruits, meat cooking with paracetamol tablets as sensitive and the addition of Sudan 4 dye to make red oil and red pepper more attractive and vibrant red pepper.
He declared that “food adulteration and other unwillings can cause serious health consequences such as cancer, liver cirrhosis, renal failure and malnutrition.”
The registrar regretted that many local government authorities have not employed qualified food security professionals despite the existing constitutional provision and asked all 774 presidents of the local government area to recruit licensed food security professionals, policy formulators and development partners to institutionalize food security frameworks and support food safety initiatives.
More than 150 food security desk and assistants of the ABUJA area, the food regulatory agencies and the owners of the food industry received training on how to apply the Food Security Operating Manual at the meeting.
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