The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government and relevant agencies to intensify the enforcement of food safety regulations to tackle the rising incidence of foodborne diseases across Nigeria, Peak Newspaper reports.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by an Edo lawmaker, Billy Osawaru, during plenary on Tuesday.
Osawaru, in his motion titled, “Need to tackle the increasing rate of foodborne diseases, stiffen food safety regulations and increase its public awareness in Nigeria,” cited World Health Organisation figures indicating that unsafe food causes about 866 million illnesses and 1.5 million deaths globally every year, with Africa recording the highest burden.
The lawmaker identified chemical hazards, poor hygiene among food handlers, open defecation, inadequate access to potable water, weak regulatory enforcement and poor infrastructure in markets and abattoirs as major contributors to foodborne illnesses in Nigeria.
He expressed concern that the country records about 50 million cases of foodborne diseases and more than 53,000 related deaths annually, with children under five accounting for more than 80 per cent of the affected population.
Following the adoption of the motion, the House urged the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention to strengthen surveillance, inspection and certification across the food production value chain.
The House also directed its Committee on Healthcare, Food Safety and Nutrition to work with relevant agencies to secure funding for food-testing equipment, prioritise the training and certification of food handlers and identify legislative gaps requiring amendment.
