The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has directed food companies across Nigeria to eliminate industrially produced trans-fatty acids from their products.
The agency gave the companies an 18-month timeline to comply with the directive.
Advertisement
The announcement was made on Friday, as part of a new national strategy aimed at reducing one of the most harmful dietary risk factors globally.
Trans fats, commonly found in baked goods, processed oils, and fried foods, are linked to cardiovascular disease, stroke, and premature death.
Unveiling the roadmap, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, said the agency has moved from policy creation to aggressive enforcement and implementation.
She emphasised that the step was both a technical and moral obligation.
“The removal of industrially produced trans fats from the food chain is not only a technical achievement but also a moral imperative.
“Eliminating these fats is possible, achievable, necessary, and urgent,” Adeyeye stated.
She further explained that the goal is to protect Nigerians from preventable deaths caused by poor dietary habits.
“We cannot continue to allow harmful substances to remain in our food system when safer alternatives exist.
“Nigerians deserve safe food, and NAFDAC is committed to making that a reality,” she said.
According to NAFDAC, the phased approach includes product reformulation, laboratory capacity strengthening, compliance monitoring, and public education, in collaboration with government and civil society.
The 18-month transition period will allow manufacturers to exhaust existing stock and adjust their processes to meet the new legal limits.
The agency noted that the move follows Nigeria’s recognition by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2023 for adopting best-practice policies on trans-fat elimination.
It added that the implementation is expected to secure WHO validation of Nigeria’s full elimination programme and establish the country as a leader in public health interventions across Africa.
WHO, in its global recommendation, stated: “Industrially produced trans fats have no known health benefits but carry huge health risks.
“Countries that eliminate them will save thousands of lives every year.”
