Nigeria’s food manufacturers have 18 months to remove industrially produced trans-fatty acids from their products, according to a new directive by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
The agency announced the timeline on Friday as part of a national strategy to tackle trans fats, which are strongly linked to heart disease, stroke, and premature death. These harmful fats are commonly found in processed oils, baked goods, and fried foods, and their elimination is seen as a critical step toward improving public health.
Unveiling the roadmap, NAFDAC’s director-general said the new plan marks a decisive shift from policy formulation to aggressive enforcement and implementation. “The removal of industrially produced trans fats from the food chain is not only a technical achievement but also a moral imperative. Eliminating these fats is possible, achievable, necessary, and urgent,” she stated, calling for national collaboration to achieve the goal.
The phased strategy includes product reformulation, strengthening laboratory testing capacity, rigorous compliance monitoring, public awareness campaigns, and partnerships with government agencies and civil society. The 18-month transition period is designed to allow food producers to exhaust existing stock and reformulate their products to comply with new legal limits.
This development follows Nigeria’s recognition in 2023 by the World Health Organization (WHO) for adopting best-practice policies on trans-fat elimination. With the new roadmap, the country is positioning itself for WHO validation of a complete elimination programme and hopes to emerge as a regional leader in public health interventions.
NAFDAC stressed that industrial trans fats are among the most harmful dietary risk factors globally due to their strong association with cardiovascular diseases and premature deaths. WHO recommends that industrial trans fats be removed entirely from food supplies and that their intake should not exceed one percent of total daily energy.
Several countries, including Denmark, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and members of the Eurasian Economic Union have already achieved or implemented strict limits on trans fats. Nigeria’s plan aims to align with these global standards and significantly reduce diet-related health risks among its population.
