The Nigerian Council of Food Science and Technology has introduced a new manual designed to guide food safety officers in monitoring and enforcing hygiene standards, especially among street vendors and in local markets nationwide.
Speaking at the launch event in Abuja, the Council’s Chief Executive Officer, Veronica Eze, stated that the manual aims to enhance regulation and oversight of food safety practices in various public food establishments. These include street vendors, restaurants, bakeries, and other outlets that serve food to the public.
Eze highlighted the growing link between unsafe food consumption and serious health conditions such as kidney failure, liver cirrhosis, cancer, and diabetes—many of which are increasingly connected to poor lifestyle choices and contaminated food.
Although specific data on illness and death rates remain unclear, she emphasized that the rise in kidney and liver diseases in Nigeria strongly correlates with unsafe food practices.
She stressed that food contamination poses an even greater danger than armed robbery, as it leads to prolonged suffering and slow deaths from chronic health conditions.
Eze called on local government councils to hire licensed food professionals to monitor food vendors and ensure compliance with safety standards in their communities.
