The global health landscape is shifting dramatically. While infectious diseases were once the primary concern, a new wave of chronic, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is now taking centre stage. Conditions like Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease, largely fuelled by dietary choices, are creating a dual public health crisis. For Nigeria, the challenge is no longer just combating hunger but ensuring the nutritional quality of every meal consumed by its citizens.
The Alarming Scale of Nigeria's Diabetes Burden
Nigeria is grappling with a significant and rapidly growing diabetes epidemic. Official estimates from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) for 2024 placed the national prevalence among adults aged 20–79 at 3%, or roughly three million people. This figure already gives Nigeria the highest absolute number of adults with diabetes in Africa.
However, emerging research suggests the reality is far more severe. Recent systematic reviews indicate the true prevalence may be between 6% and 7%, which could mean up to eight million Nigerian adults are living with the condition. This discrepancy points to substantial subnational variations and a critical problem of underdiagnosis. The World Health Organisation notes that nearly half of all adults with diabetes in Nigeria are unaware they have it, leading to preventable complications like heart disease, kidney failure, and premature death.
Poor Diets and Unaffordable Nutrition: The Root Causes
The driver of this crisis is deeply embedded in the nation's food environment. Diets high in salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats are a primary cause of NCDs, which have now become the leading cause of death globally, with a disproportionate impact on low- and middle-income countries like Nigeria. Shockingly, NCDs are responsible for nearly 600 deaths per 100,000 Nigerians, overtaking communicable diseases.
Alarming data from the 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) reveals how early poor nutrition begins: 41% of children aged 6-23 months consume sugar-sweetened beverages, and 24% eat unhealthy foods. Only 12% receive a minimally diverse diet. Compounding this, the 2024 Global Food Policy Report highlighted that nearly 80% of Nigerians could not afford a healthy diet in 2022, exposing deep issues of affordability and access.
A Call for Bold, Evidence-Based Food Policies
The situation presents not just a moral imperative but an economic necessity, addressing a clear market failure. When profit motives promote the mass production and aggressive marketing of unhealthy products, especially to children, government intervention is crucial to safeguard public health.
Experts argue for a multi-pronged policy approach across fiscal, regulatory, and institutional domains:
- Implementing an effective sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax to deter consumption and generate revenue for public nutrition programs.
- Introducing subsidies for fresh fruits and vegetables to improve affordability.
- Regulating the marketing of high-fat, sugar, and salt products, particularly those targeting children.
- Mandating easy-to-understand Front-of-Pack Warning Labels (FOPL) to empower consumer choice.
- Ensuring the 2024 National Policy on Food Safety and Quality translates into tangible standards, removing sugary drinks and junk food from schools and hospitals.
The clock is ticking on the National Policy on Food and Nutrition (2016-2025), whose goal to reduce diet-related NCDs by 25% by 2025 is unlikely to be met. This underscores the urgent need for a revised and transformative policy framework for the coming decade.
To make World Diabetes Day 2025 meaningful, Nigeria must act decisively. Implementing these bold policies can transform the food system from a source of widespread disease into a cornerstone of national health, wellbeing, and productivity.
