CADEF Highlights Importance of Safe Food, Insists on Healthy Feeding 

Emma Okonji

In commemoration of the 2026 World Food Safety Day, the Consumer Advocacy and Empowerment Foundation (CADEF), has organised a webinar to further highlight the importance of safe food and healthy feeding among people.

Themed: ‘From Burdens To Solutions: Safe Food Everywhere’, the webinar brought together food experts, policy makers and industry stakeholders to discuss the importance of hygiene in food processing, food preparation, and food intake.

Moderated by Director of Programs at CADEF, Lovelyn Okafor, the webinar also discussed about herbal medications and food and stressed the need for consumers to carefully study and understand how herbs work before taking them as food or medication.

Principal Consultant, Food Systems & Agro-allied Solutions, Dr. Augustine Okoruwa, who presented a paper at the webinar, stressed the need for proper hygiene in food processing and preparation. He advised consumers to avoid contaminated food at all cost.  

“Food consumers must ensure that the food that already cooked food must be covered properly to make sure that they are not exposed to contamination from flies and airborne diseases. Since food safety is a collective and shared responsibility, it means that all actors in the supply chain, from the farm to the table, have responsibilities. They must play their role well to prevent food contamination which results in foodborne diseases. Market management or market authorities are critical when it comes to the marketplace if we want to ensure supply of safe food,” Okoruwa said.

He called on the National Assembly to urgently enact the National Food Safety Act 2023, which according to him, actually extends regulation to the informal sector, including the street food vendors, as a critical measure for safeguarding public health.

The Director, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Yeside Shogbamimu, who also presented paper at the webinar, stressed the need to turn policy into action to build stronger food safety systems.

She also spoke on food safety landscape in Lagos State, and looked at policy to action strategies, as well as the regulatory challenges that governments face.

According to her, Lagos State lost 19 patients that suffered from foodborne illness between 2024 and 2025.

She explained that Lagos State was doing everything possible to protect the health of the public, prevent food wastage and also maintain consumer confidence.
“When a consumer is confident to consume anything, it will boost the body immune function. So, currently, the state has a need for continuous improvement in food vendors,” Shogbamimu said.
Founder/CEO, Bionaturales Limited, Mrs. Bukola Ijeoma Ogunsanwo, presented a paper on herbal medication and the abuse.   
According to her, millions of Nigerian consumers consume herbal products every day, but majority abuse the use of such herbal products.

She listed Zobo drinks sold in schools and the use of bitter leaves hibiscus leaves, as herbal drinks and food.

“We actually have herbal healing soups prepared in homes, and some people use WhatsApp, Instagram and other social media platforms to get information about herbs used to improve human health. These are different ways that people are consuming herbs, which could be healthy, if done in the right way. Herbal medicine actually is something that is good. But everything that is good comes with caution,” Ogunsanwo said.

She said some patients take herbs to control their blood pressure without knowing the exact factors that are causing high blood pressure in their system.

She therefore called for regulated herbal products to keep consumers safe.

“We have different kinds of traditional medicines all over the world now. Some of them have already gone far beyond Africans. So it’s time for us to begin to raise standards, and get more knowledge about herbal medicines,” Ogunsanwo further said.