FG Unveils strategy
FG Unveils strategy to ensure Food security
Federal Government has put in place strategies to improve food
safety in Nigeria. The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of
Health, Mr. Abdulaziz Mashi made this known on Friday 7th June 2019
while briefing the press on the maiden World Food Safety Day in
Abuja.
Mr. Abdullahi said in most cases people eat foods that give them
symptoms like stomach pain vomiting or high fever which sometimes
lead to hospitalization and even death.
“High risk food such as ready-to-eat foods of animal origin and
spices can contain harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemical
substance due to unsafe food handling practice,” Abdullahi said
According to WHO report, in 2015 foodborne diseases was found to
have made approximately 600 million people sick and caused 420,000
untimely deaths. It was also reported that un safe foods has led to
yearly productivity losses of about US$95 Billion in low and
middle-income countries.
To address the food safety threat, Mr Abdullahi said federal
Government has initiated the process that will guarantee the safety
of food by launching the National Policy on Food Safety and its
Implementation Strategy. He added that two Committees consisting of
representatives from the public, private and academic were also
inaugurated to ensure food safety in Nigeria.
Abdullahi said that the Food Safety stakeholders under auspice
of National Food Safety Management Committee develop National Food
Safety and Quality Bill and was approve by Federal Executive
Council, now currently at the National Assembly for passage in to
law.
“This Bill is expected to usher in a new era of food control in
the country where all tiers of government and MDS will work
together alongside the organized Private Sectors to ensure the
wholesomeness of our foods” he said
He said that Federal Ministry of Health is working with State
Ministries of Health and Agricultural as well as the Environmental
Health Officers Registration Council of Nigeria to further
strengthen the work of Environmental Health Officers across the
States
He noted that the Federal Ministry of Health has also empowered
the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control
(NAFDAC) to undertake more effectively its mandate in the
regulation of process and package foods in the country.
Speaking during the event, the Food and Agricultural
Organization (FAO) Representative in Nigeria His Excellency Suffyan
Koroma represented by Alphonsus Onwuemeka, Programme Officer SDG,
FAO called on the members of the National Assembly to pass the Food
Safety Bill and its Implementation Strategy in to law.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Muhammed Bello Umar,
Represented by Dr. Maimunat Habib, Director Project Coordinating
Unit said that quality control of commodities starts from the field
operations including land clearing, soil testing, seeds selection,
varietal selection, chemical application as well as postharvest
operations which all fall under the Ministry of Agriculture and
Rural Development.
“Food safety is key to achieving several United Nation’s
Sustainable Development Goals and this responsibility must be
shared between governments, producers of food and consumers” Dr.
Umar said