Agricultural stakeholders have urged the government to strengthen oversight and enforcement of food safety regulations in order to reduce increasing cases of poor hygiene and contamination in food processing across the country.
The call was made by experts in separate interviews in Lagos, where they expressed concern over gaps in monitoring and compliance within the food value chain.
An agriculture analyst, Charles Idonije, called for a more coordinated regulatory system to improve enforcement of hygiene and safety standards in food production and processing.
He observed that overlapping responsibilities among regulatory agencies have weakened effective supervision, making it difficult to ensure full compliance.
Idonije suggested the creation of a more streamlined framework that would centralise monitoring and quality control across the entire food system.
He stressed that food safety should begin from the farm level, adding that farmers and other stakeholders need proper training to maintain standards from production to consumption.
According to him, ensuring food safety goes beyond availability, as it also involves strict adherence to handling, processing, and storage practices to prevent health risks such as food poisoning.
Another analyst, Omotunde Banjoko, emphasised the need to improve inspection and enforcement activities at the local government level.
He urged sanitation departments to intensify monitoring of markets, restaurants, and food processing businesses within communities to ensure compliance with hygiene standards.
Banjoko also called on national regulatory agencies to strengthen their oversight functions and ensure consistent enforcement of food safety laws.
He advocated greater public education on safe food handling practices, noting that awareness plays a key role in preventing contamination.
He further recommended that even small-scale food producers should be regularly inspected as part of efforts to protect public health and improve overall food safety standards.