The Bayelsa State Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Hon. Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, has called for stronger public enlightenment campaigns on the dangers of excessive salt consumption and the urgent need for healthier dietary practices among Nigerians.
The Commissioner made this appeal on Monday while receiving members of the “I Care Save a Soul Initiative” during a courtesy visit to her office in Yenagoa.
Koku-Obiyai warned that excessive salt intake has been medically linked to severe health complications, including heart disease, hypertension, kidney and liver damage, stressing that preventive awareness was key to reducing the burden of non-communicable diseases in the state.
She further emphasized the role of food manufacturers in protecting public health, insisting that packaged food industries must indicate the exact quantity of salt in their products to guide consumers.
“Adding table salt to meals should be discouraged, as it is a harmful habit. Protecting the health and well-being of every citizen is a top priority of this government, and we will continue to support initiatives that encourage healthy living,” the Commissioner said.
Koku-Obiyai urged NGOs, advocacy groups, and civil society organizations to intensify campaigns for dietary moderation, saying collaboration was crucial in building a healthier Bayelsa.
Earlier, the leader of the advocacy group, Mr. Seribo Titus, said the visit was part of a statewide campaign to demand laws that regulate excessive salt content in foods. He revealed that the initiative had already engaged the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Justice, the State House Committee on Health, and NAFDAC as part of efforts to promote legislative backing for healthier nutrition.
“Our focus is to ensure stricter rules on how much salt food companies can use in their products, because high salt intake has become a silent killer in many households,” Titus stated.
The campaign will continue in local government areas across Bayelsa to further sensitize the public.
Public health experts, including the World Health Organization (WHO), recommend that adults should consume less than 5 grams (about one teaspoon) of salt per day, but recent studies indicate that Nigerians consume nearly double that amount, largely due to processed foods and poor dietary habits.
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