NATIONAL FOOD SAFETY COUNCIL ESTABLISHMENT BILL
Bill · Agriculture
Policy date: 2016-01-01
A Bill that establishes the National Food Safety Council to oversee food and feed safety regulations across Nigeria. It targets all consumers, food business operators, and regulatory agencies to reduce foodborne illnesses and ensure compliance with standards.
What Is This Policy?
A bill to establish the National Food Safety Council and the National Food Safety Management Committee to oversee food and feed safety regulation across Nigeria.
Who Does It Target?
All Nigerians as consumers of food products, food and feed business operators, food regulatory agencies, and agricultural stakeholders.
What Does It Aim to Achieve?
Modernize Nigeria's food safety regulatory framework, reduce foodborne illnesses (estimated 200,000 deaths annually), and ensure compliance with international food safety standards.
Key Features
National Food Safety Council: A high-level coordinating body comprising key federal ministers (Health, Agriculture, Trade, Environment, Science). Management Committee: A 31-member committee to implement food safety policies and manage day-to-day operations. Comprehensive Regulation: Covers novel foods, traceability, labelling, advertising, licensing, inspection, and import/export controls. NAFDAC Secretariat: The Nigerian Food and Drug Authority provides secretariat services to the committee.
Current Status
Rollout Stage: Bill pending before the National Assembly; first developed in 2016, approved by FEC in 2019. Coverage: Nationwide, covering all food and feed operations at federal, state, and local levels. Funding: Proposed federal government funding with potential international development partner support.
How to Access
Upon enactment, food business operators must comply with registration and licensing requirements outlined in the legislation. Await passage of the bill into law Comply with food safety registration and licensing once enacted
Important Terms
Penalties for non-compliance include fines up to NGN 1,000,000 or imprisonment up to one year, or both.
Impact & Metrics
Expected to significantly reduce foodborne diseases, improve food quality standards, boost consumer confidence, and enhance Nigeria's food export competitiveness.
Official Resources
Website: nafdac.gov.ng Contact: National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)
Legal Framework
The National Food Safety Council (Establishment) Bill, when enacted, would operate under the NAFDAC Act, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria Act, the Public Health Act, and the Consumer Protection Council Act. It aligns with the Codex Alimentarius international food standards, the WTO Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement), the FAO/WHO Global Forum of Food Safety Regulators guidelines, and the African Union's Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) food safety component.