Civil society organisations have called on the Federal and state governments to introduce mandatory salt reduction targets and front-of-pack food labelling to protect Nigerians from rising cases of non-communicable diseases, NCDs.

The call was made by the Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED), the Centre for Communication and Social Impact (CCSI), and Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) in a joint statement to mark World Consumer Rights Day, celebrated globally under the theme “Safe Products, Confident Consumers.”

The organisations warned that Nigeria is facing a growing burden of diet-related illnesses, noting that about 29 per cent of deaths in the country are now linked to conditions such as hypertension, heart disease, stroke and kidney failure.

According to the coalition, excessive salt consumption remains a major driver of the crisis, with the average Nigerian consuming about 10 grams of salt daily, nearly double the recommended five grammes set by the World Health Organization.

The groups stressed that consumer rights include the right to safe and healthy food, arguing that products containing excessive hidden salt cannot be considered safe.

They called for clear and easy-to-understand warning labels on the front of packaged foods to help consumers quickly identify products that are high in salt, sugar or unhealthy fats.

“Nigerians deserve to know exactly what is in the food they consume through visible and straightforward labels on product packaging,” the organisations said, noting that current nutrition information is often hidden in technical language at the back of food packs.

The coalition commended the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare for introducing the National Guidelines for Sodium Reduction in 2025 but urged authorities to move beyond voluntary guidelines to enforceable regulations.

They emphasised that stronger action is required if Nigeria is to meet its national target of reducing salt intake by 30 per cent by 2030.

The organisations also noted that many commonly consumed processed foods, including noodles, bread, bouillon cubes, frozen foods, snacks and salad dressings, contain high levels of salt, while consumers often struggle to identify these risks due to unclear or poorly visible nutrition labels.

They urged government agencies such as the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria to implement mandatory salt limits, introduce front-of-pack warning labels, restrict the marketing of ultra-processed foods to children and strengthen monitoring of food products.

The coalition maintained that these measures align with global best practices and would significantly help reduce the country’s growing burden of non-communicable diseases.

They also urged Nigerians to pay closer attention to food labels and demand healthier options from food manufacturers.

“Protecting consumers means ensuring that the food sold in our markets supports health rather than undermines it,” the organisations said, adding that salt reduction policies and transparent food labelling remain cost-effective tools for safeguarding public health.