NAFDAC, SON Must Tighten Food Quality Enforcement - Don Warns

A Professor of Food Quality Control and Assurance at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Prof. Mojisola Adegunwa, has called on the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to strengthen enforcement of food quality standards through rigorous monitoring, effective regulation and strict compliance to safeguard public health and tackle malnutrition.

Prof. Adegunwa made the call on October 28, 2026, while delivering FUNAAB’s 117th Inaugural Lecture titled “The Web of Food Quality, Health and Well-Being” at the Prof. Oluwafemi Olaiya Ceremonial Building.

According to her, food quality extends beyond what consumers eat, encompassing every stage of the food system from production and processing to preservation, storage, transportation, marketing, preparation and consumption.

She noted that weaknesses at any of these stages can compromise food safety and nutritional value, with serious consequences for individual health, community well-being and national development.

The don, from the Department of Hospitality and Tourism, College of Food Science and Human Ecology, emphasised the need for effective training and regular monitoring of food handlers to minimise contamination risks and ensure compliance with established standards, including Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP).

She said capacity-building programmes for small and medium-scale food operators would improve hygiene, strengthen consumer confidence and reduce the incidence of foodborne illnesses.

Prof. Adegunwa also advocated greater utilisation of indigenous crops and locally sourced ingredients in the development of functional foods, noting that their beneficial phytochemicals possess antioxidant and antimicrobial properties that could support health when appropriately incorporated.

She called for the integration of traditional processing techniques such as fermentation and dehydration with modern scientific innovations to preserve nutrients and improve food quality, explaining that fermentation could reduce anti-nutritional factors such as phytates and tannins, thereby enhancing bioavailability of essential minerals.

The inaugural lecturer urged governments, research institutions and private-sector stakeholders to intensify local food fortification, promote access to biofortified crops including iron-rich beans and vitamin A maize, and scientifically validate indigenous food processing methods to improve nutrition and strengthen food security.

She further stressed the need for sustained public sensitisation and nutrition education for food handlers, processors, households and communities, noting that improved nutrition literacy and hygienic practices were essential to encouraging healthier food choices.

Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Babatunde Kehinde, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Prof. Olusegun Idowu, highlighted the importance of research in assessing and improving food quality through appropriate processing, fortification and enrichment, particularly using roots, tubers and underutilised crops.

He commended Prof. Adegunwa for her expertise and advocacy in advancing the nutritional enhancement of traditional foods in Nigeria.

The lecture was attended by the immediate past Vice-Chancellor of FUNAAB, Prof. Felix Kolawole Salako; Executive Director of the Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute, Prof. Lateef Sanni; Global Alumni President, Otunba Bolaji Gbadamosi, as well as Governing Council members, former principal officers and other eminent personalities.

Report by Olasunkanmi Olajide and Raymond Osemene