Nabasu: 200,000 Nigerians die of food poisoning yearly
By Seun Adams
The Federal Government through the Ministry of Science and Technology on Thursday called on the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) to urgently pay greater attention to food safety matter.
The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr. Bitrus Nabasu, averred that over 90, 000 cases of food borne diseases are recorded in the country annually.
According to him, more than 200,000 Nigerians dies annually from food poisoning caused by food contamination during food processing and preservation.
Nabasu, who was represented by the Director, Chemical Technology Department, Mr. Oyefeso Akinyemi, disclosed this at the opening ceremony of the one day workshop of food safety organized for the staff of the ministry in Nassarawa State.
He further said that this ministry was committed to partnering with relevant stakeholders in the provision of scientific evidence- based data, would be useful in the elaboration of food standards by local and global food standards-setting bodies.
He urged participants at the workshop to henceforth serve as food safety champions in their various domains.
In an earlier remark, the Director of Health and Biomedical Science Department Mr. David Erphabahimu, said everyone has a special role to play in ensuring that the food consumed by Nigerians is free from contamination.