In 2023, Nigeria made history as the second African country to adopt a best-practice policy to eliminate industrially produced trans fats from the national food supply. Building on this milestone, on September 26, 2025, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), with support from Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL), launched a national strategy and implementation roadmap to enforce the regulation.
The strategy outlines priority actions, timelines, and mechanisms for full compliance and enforcement. It also provides guidance for food industry reformulation and public education, creating an enabling environment to replace harmful trans fats with healthier alternatives.
Speaking at the launch in Lagos, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, underscored the agency’s commitment to trans fat elimination.
“This launch is not just about unveiling a document, it is about reaffirming our national commitment to protecting the health of Nigerians from dangerous yet preventable dietary risks,” she said, adding, “The food we eat can kill us. If you eat well, you will use less medicine.”
Executive Director of RTSL Nigeria, Nanlop Ogbureke, commended NAFDAC and the Nigerian government for achieving this milestone:
“At the heart of this work is the health and well-being of our people. Cardiovascular health in Nigeria remains a major challenge, and we know that trans fats also contribute significantly through the diets we consume. We recognize the laudable efforts being made to implement and enforce this regulation, and we remain strongly committed to working with the government and all relevant agencies to ensure the comprehensive roadmap addresses everything required to protect the health of Nigerians.”
RTSL will continue supporting government efforts to implement the regulation effectively, focusing on building the capacity of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) on the use of healthier oil alternatives to help them comply with the regulation and contribute to a safer, more nutritious food environment for all Nigerians.
Learn more about how Resolve to Save Lives is accelerating action to eliminate trans fat from the global food supply.