Reps Urge Federal Government to Tackle Food-Induced Diseases in Nigeria

The House of Representatives has asked the Federal Government to step up action against the growing burden of food-induced diseases in Nigeria. Lawmakers say the rise in illnesses linked to contaminated food and unsafe water is becoming a serious public-health problem that requires coordinated intervention from health, standards and regulatory agencies.

The resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by Hon. Billy Osawaru of Edo State. After the motion was adopted, the House directed the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control to intensify nationwide surveillance, inspection and certification across the food production chain.

A major concern raised in the motion is that food contamination is not only happening at the point of sale, but at multiple stages along the value chain. That includes production, processing, storage, transportation and handling, where poor hygiene or weak oversight can allow harmful bacteria, chemicals or other contaminants into the food supply. The lawmakers want stronger checks at every stage so that unsafe food can be identified and removed before it causes more illness.

The House also asked the Committee on Healthcare, Food Safety and Nutrition to work with relevant agencies to ensure that funds for food-testing equipment are included in the next supplementary budget. This is important because laboratories and inspection systems need modern tools to detect contamination quickly and accurately. Without proper testing capacity, regulators may be unable to confirm the source of outbreaks or enforce standards effectively.

Another part of the resolution focuses on the people who handle food. The House said training, retraining and certification of food handlers should be prioritised, and it wants legislative gaps in food safety law identified and amended where necessary. The logic is straightforward: even strong laws will fail if food vendors, processors and handlers are not properly educated on hygiene, storage, cross-contamination and safe preparation.

The lawmakers also linked food safety to water and sanitation. They urged the Federal Ministries of Health and Water Resources to accelerate investment in clean and potable water, as well as sanitation infrastructure, to reduce the damage caused by contaminated water in food production and preparation. This matters because unsafe water can spread disease directly and also undermine food safety when it is used for washing produce, preparing meals or cleaning equipment.

At a broader level, the motion reflects growing concern that foodborne illness is being underappreciated as a public-health threat. Diseases caused by contaminated food can range from acute stomach infections to more serious outbreaks that overwhelm hospitals and damage public confidence in markets, restaurants and street food systems. When surveillance is weak and response is slow, a preventable illness can spread quickly across communities.

The House’s intervention suggests that lawmakers now see food safety as more than a consumer issue; they see it as a national health and development issue. Stronger inspection systems, better laboratory equipment, properly trained food handlers and improved sanitation could all reduce the burden of illness while also supporting confidence in the food economy.

If implemented properly, the resolution could help close long-standing gaps in Nigeria’s food safety architecture. For ordinary Nigerians, the practical result would be fewer cases of preventable illness, safer food at markets and eateries, and better protection against outbreaks linked to contamination.