Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, has said unsafe food causes nearly 50 million illnesses and more than 53,000 deaths annually in Nigeria.

Salako spoke during the commemoration of the 2026 World Food Safety Day with the theme, “From Burden to Solutions – Safe Food Everywhere” in Abuja yesterday.

He described food safety as a national development priority with significant implications for public health, productivity, economic growth and the overall wellbeing of Nigerians.

According to him, food-borne diseases result in about 4.26 million years of healthy life lost annually through illness, disability and premature deaths across the country.

Salako said the situation reflected a broader global challenge highlighted by recently updated estimates released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on food-borne diseases.

Blaze 91.5 FM