Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) is sounding the alarm on Nigeria’s growing health crisis linked to excessive salt consumption. Addressing journalists at a two-day workshop in Port Harcourt, CAPPA’s Executive Director Akinbode Oluwafemi revealed that Nigerians consume far more salt than the World Health Organization’s recommended daily limit of 5 grams—mostly hidden in processed foods.
The workshop, held with partners like the Global Health Advocacy Incubator and the National Agency for Drug Administration and Control, aimed to mobilize media efforts to educate the public on the dangers of salt overconsumption, which raises risks of heart attacks, strokes, and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Medical expert Dr. Joseph Ekiyor emphasized that high salt intake worsens cardiovascular health, while Dr. Jerome Mafeni of the Network for Health Equity and Development called on journalists to expose food industry interference that threatens public health policies.
CAPPA and its partners urge the government to implement strict regulations on salt content in processed foods and promote better consumer awareness through front-of-pack labels.
Leave a comment