Posted on: Wed 12-05-2021

The Trans Fat-Free Nigeria Campaign stakeholders have commended the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, for their partnership and commitment to the #TransfatFreeNigeria campaign.

The stakeholders gave the commendation at a meeting that had the Director-General of NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, and top officials of the agency in attendance. The Trans Fat-Free Nigeria Campaign stakeholders include Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, CAPPA; Network for Health Equity and Development, NHED; Global Health Advocacy Incubator, GHAI; Resolve to Save Lives, RTSL, and the World Health Organisation, WHO.  

The meeting was called at the instance of NHED to deliberate on the Fat and Oils Regulations 2019 and the Pre-Packaged, Ice and Labelling Regulations of 2019.

Participants explored opportunities for working with the agency and other critical stakeholders on how to seek viable alternatives to the use of industrially-produced Trans Fatty Acids, TFAs, in Nigeria’s food system. In 2019, the regulatory agency made a draft of the two regulations available on its website for comments from the public.  

The approval of the regulations has, however, been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic which has taken centre stage in government engagements. At the virtual meeting, Professor Adeyeye highlighted the efforts the agency had put in place to ensure that the regulations are passed and effectively enforced.  

She commended the Trans Fat-free Nigeria campaign stakeholders for the sustained efforts to see the regulations passed and encouraged them to continue the work with relevant departments of the agency to achieve the campaign objectives.  

She told the stakeholders that the draft regulations will go through some processes before its approval by the board and assured that in no distant time the approval and final gazetting of these regulations will occur.

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