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The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has intensified efforts to combat hypertension and other non-communicable diseases through a renewed sodium reduction campaign aimed at promoting healthier diets across Nigeria.
As part of the initiative, the Ministry on May 19, 2026, held a courtesy and technical engagement with the Kano State Ministry of Health to strengthen collaboration on the domestication and implementation of the National Sodium Reduction Guidelines.
The meeting brought together top officials of the Kano State Government, led by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, alongside representatives of the Federal Ministry of Health and development partners, including Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL).
Speaking during the engagement, Dr. Yusuf described sodium reduction as a timely intervention in the fight against hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, which continue to affect many Nigerians.
“The issue of sodium reduction is both timely and necessary, particularly in the prevention and management of non-communicable diseases, including hypertension and cardiovascular conditions,” he said, while reaffirming Kano State’s readiness to domesticate the guidelines.
Representing the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Mr. Femi Stephen of the Food and Drug Services Department said states remain critical to achieving Nigeria’s sodium reduction targets.
He noted that the National Sodium Reduction Guidelines seek to reduce sodium consumption by 30 percent by 2030 through a phased and multi-sectoral approach involving public awareness, food industry engagement, and healthier food policies.
According to the Federal Ministry of Health, excessive sodium intake remains one of the major risk factors driving hypertension and cardiovascular diseases in the country, making sodium reduction one of the most cost-effective public health interventions.
The Ministry also stressed the need for states to integrate sodium reduction into primary healthcare services, school feeding programmes, food safety systems, nutrition interventions, and community awareness campaigns.
Officials at the meeting agreed to deepen collaboration towards establishing state-level coordination mechanisms, strengthening legal and regulatory frameworks, and promoting healthier diets as part of efforts to reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases in Nigeria.
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