Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Nigeria’s low life expectancy and rising burden of non-communicable diseases, NCDs, have been linked to the growing influence of corporate food manufacturers on public health policymaking, according to the Executive Director of Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, CAPPA, Akinbode Oluwafemi.
Speaking at the opening of a two-day journalism training on Industry Interference and Response Building organised by CAPPA and the Global Health Advocacy Incubator in Port Harcourt, Oluwafemi warned that “corporate food giants are interfering with national health policies and endangering lives through the sale of ultra-processed foods high in salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats.”
He said the training, which focused on salt reduction and Front-of-Pack Labelling, FOPL, was designed to strengthen journalists’ understanding of the growing public health crisis and equip them to expose industry tactics that undermine government efforts to reduce diet-related diseases.
“The alarming rise in hypertension, kidney failure, and cardiovascular diseases in Nigeria cannot be left to the same food industry whose products and marketing practices help sustain them,” Oluwafemi declared.
“These companies are increasingly influencing policy processes meant to protect public health, often under the guise of corporate social responsibility.”
Citing the World Health Organisation’s recommendation of no more than five grams of salt per day, he revealed that “studies show that the average Nigerian consumes far more; most of it hidden in snacks, instant noodles, and bouillon cubes that have become part of everyday meals.”
According to him, this pattern has fueled what he described as a “vicious public health crisis.” He lamented that excess salt intake is now driving high blood pressure and sudden deaths, a trend Nigerians have come to describe as the “slump and die” scourge.
“The consequences are visible in our communities,” he noted. “High-sodium diets are damaging kidneys, triggering heart attacks, and stretching our already fragile health system. These diseases, which were once associated with the elderly, are now claiming the lives of younger Nigerians.”
Oluwafemi represented by the Assistant Executive Director of CAPPA, Zikora Ibeh, described Nigeria’s declining life expectancy, pegged at 54.9 years in the United Nations’ 2025 Global Health Report, as “a grim reflection of the combined effects of poverty, weak health systems, and dietary risks that feed the NCD crisis.”
“The figure makes Nigeria the country with the lowest life expectancy in the world, compared to the global average of 74.7 years,” he said. “It tells us that something is deeply wrong with how our food systems and health governance intersect.”
Oluwafemi explained that two key policy measures could help turn the tide — the implementation of mandatory salt reduction targets and front-of-pack labelling on processed foods.
He commended the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare for recently launching the National Sodium Reduction Guideline, which sets gradual limits for salt content in processed foods.
“This is a preventive health measure that will encourage food manufacturers to reformulate their products and make them safer,” he stated. “The goal is to reduce salt intake, save lives, and ease the long-term pressure on our healthcare system.”
He also applauded the Ministry’s establishment of the National Technical Working Group on Front-of-Pack Labelling, aimed at helping Nigerians make informed food choices through clear visual symbols or colour codes.
“Front-of-pack labels are simple yet powerful,” he explained. “They empower people, regardless of literacy level, to know when a product contains unhealthy levels of salt, sugar, or fat.”
However, he warned that the ultra-processed food industry remains a major obstacle to reform.
“We are witnessing the same playbook used by Big Tobacco decades ago. These companies lobby against strong regulations, sponsor misleading research, and promote voluntary guidelines in place of enforceable laws. They use corporate philanthropy to mask their interference in policymaking.”
He charged journalists to play a central role in exposing such tactics and holding both corporations and policymakers accountable. “The media is the first line of defence for public health,” he said. “Through independent, evidence-based reporting, journalists can cut through corporate propaganda and keep citizens informed.”
Oluwafemi urged reporters to stay vigilant and help amplify scientific evidence rather than industry spin. “Transparency in policymaking, backed by vigilant journalism, is the best defence against undue influence,” he said. “Our collective goal should be a Nigeria where healthier food choices are not a privilege, but a right.”
He thanked CAPPA’s partners, particularly the Global Health Advocacy Incubator, for supporting ongoing advocacy to promote healthy food environments. “We are committed to building a well-informed media network that drives accountability and protects Nigerians from preventable diseases,” he concluded.
