The Federal Government has announced plans to jail individuals and business owners involved in the production and sale of contaminated, adulterated and unsafe food products.
Under the proposed measures, offenders could face between six months and two years in prison as the government moves to clamp down on dangerous food practices threatening public health.
The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Udeh, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja, warning that the government would no longer tolerate practices that expose Nigerians to harmful substances through contaminated food.
He said the ministry would work with the Ministry of Justice and the Attorney-General of the Federation to prosecute offenders and ensure they face appropriate punishment.
The move follows growing concerns over food-related illnesses and deaths across the country.
In June 2026, the Federal Government disclosed that unsafe food causes nearly 50 million illnesses and more than 53,000 deaths annually in Nigeria.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, also revealed that the country loses an estimated 4.26 million years of healthy life annually to foodborne diseases, including disability and premature deaths.
Globally, the World Health Organisation estimates that contaminated food makes about 600 million people sick annually, resulting in 420,000 deaths.
Udeh said the government’s renewed push for tougher enforcement was also informed by recent food poisoning tragedies in Kogi and Ondo states.
In August 2026, five members of a family reportedly died in Kogi after consuming fufu processed from cassava flour, while 49 people reportedly died in Ondo in September following methanol contamination of locally prepared alcoholic and herbal drinks.
The minister said the incidents underscored the urgent need to hold individuals and businesses accountable for endangering consumers.
He also commended the Registrar of the Nigerian Council of Food Science and Technology, Mrs Veronica Ezeh, for her efforts to rid the country of adulterated and unwholesome food products.
Ezeh, who also spoke at the event, exposed several dangerous food practices allegedly being carried out by some traders and food processors.
They include using calcium carbide to artificially ripen fruits, applying dichlorvos, popularly known as Sniper, to beans and grains, and using paracetamol to soften meat during cooking.
Others include applying detergents and bleaching agents to cassava and adulterating palm oil with prohibited colourants such as Sudan 4 dye.
She warned that such practices contribute to serious health conditions, including liver cirrhosis, kidney diseases and cancer, as well as damage to vital organs.
Outlining the government’s action plans, Ezeh said the authorities were considering stricter enforcement of Sections 243 to 245 of the Criminal Code Act, alongside the proposed creation of Food Science and Technology Professional Cadres across federal, state and local government services.
Other measures include deploying modern technologies for food safety, introducing proper sealing and packaging of food products, organising stakeholders’ conferences and strengthening collaboration among regulatory agencies.
She also disclosed that the council had adopted its Food Safety Procedure Manual, launched last year, as part of efforts to improve food safety standards.
Ezeh further called for the engagement of more than 3,000 food science and technology graduates produced annually in the country, saying they could help government agencies tackle food contamination and enforce safety standards nationwide.
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