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CADEF, Stakeholders Push for Zero Added Sugar Standards in Infant Foods
Consumer advocates, health professionals and policymakers have called for urgent regulatory reforms to eliminate added sugars in infant foods, warning that current standards may be exposing Nigerian babies to avoidable long-term health risks.
Chiso Ndukwe-Okafor, Executive Director of CADEF
The call was made on Thursday at a high-level stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja organised by the Consumer Advocacy and Empowerment Foundation (CADEF) in partnership with Public Eye, where new findings on sugar content in baby foods triggered widespread concern.
Public Eye’s research focused on Cerelac, Nestlé’s widely consumed infant cereal across Africa. Laboratory tests on nearly 100 samples purchased in over 20 African countries revealed that 94 per cent contained added sugar. On average, products recorded about 6 grams of added sugar per serving equivalent to roughly one and a half sugar cubes with some markets reaching between 7 and 7.5 grams. Nigerian samples averaged 5 grams, with peaks of 6.1 grams.
The figures refer strictly to sugar added during manufacturing and exclude naturally occurring sugars present in ingredients such as grains, fruits and milk.
Nestlé however maintained that its products comply with local regulations and are fortified to address nutritional deficiencies.
However, the company has not explained why sugar-free formulations are available in Europe while African markets receive variants containing added sugar.
Opening the session, Chiso Ndukwe-Okafor, Executive Director of CADEF, stressed that the advocacy is not targeted at any single company but aimed at safeguarding children’s health and advancing a zero-added-sugar standard for infant foods in Nigeria.
“African babies are being fed sugar Europe would never accept,” she said, highlighting disparities in product formulations across regions.
Citing the findings, she noted that some cereal-based infant foods contain “over four grams, almost five grams of sugar,” but clarified that manufacturers are not breaching existing laws.
“They are complying with current regulations, which are based on Codex standards developed over 30 years ago,” she said, pointing to the outdated nature of the framework as the core issue.
She urged regulatory authorities to align national standards with current global health recommendations.
CADEF warned that early exposure to added sugars can shape children’s taste preferences and increase their risk of obesity, diabetes, dental disease and other non-communicable conditions later in life echoing guidance from the World Health Organization, which advises against added sugars in infant foods.
While acknowledging that existing sugar levels fall within Nigeria’s Codex-based standards, the organisation argued that the framework is no longer sufficient to protect infant nutrition.
It clarified that its concerns relate specifically to sugars deliberately added as sweeteners or enhancers, not naturally occurring sugars in raw ingredients.
Stakeholders at the meeting called on key regulators including the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to review existing standards and enforce clearer, more transparent labelling requirements.
CADEF emphasised that parents deserve accurate, easy-to-understand information when making nutritional choices, noting that Nigerian consumers should enjoy the same level of product quality and protection available in other markets.
Among its recommendations is the introduction of mandatory front-of-pack labelling that clearly identifies and distinguishes sources of sugar, alongside policies to drive reformulation toward zero added sugar.
“We need front-of-pack labelling in simple language that separates the source of sugar on each product,” Ndukwe-Okafor said, adding that regulators and paediatric stakeholders expressed support for reform.
Also speaking, Adeyemo Adebayo of the Nutrition Division at the Federal Ministry of Health stressed that policy reforms must be complemented by sustained public advocacy to achieve meaningful impact.
He called for broader health education efforts beyond formal legislation, including engagement with traditional and religious leaders to drive grassroots awareness that infants do not require added sugar.
Jubril Mohammed, representing the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, said the agency’s role is to facilitate consensus-driven standards rather than impose unilateral decisions.
He noted that proposals such as eliminating added sugar must be backed by evidence and stakeholder agreement, adding that review processes can take up to a year.
He, however, expressed the agency’s willingness to collaborate with CADEF.
From a clinical perspective, Dr. Anthony Bawa, representing the Paediatric Association of Nigeria (PAN), called for stronger multi-sector collaboration involving academia, health institutions and lawmakers to address the risks associated with added sugars in infant diets.
He emphasised the importance of National Assembly involvement in enacting effective legislation to protect children’s health.
The meeting also highlighted international precedents. In India, sustained advocacy and regulatory pressure have compelled manufacturers to introduce multiple no-added-sugar variants of infant foods, demonstrating that reform is achievable.
As interim guidance, advocates urged parents to limit processed foods, avoid sugary drinks and sweets for young children, and prioritise natural options such as fruits.
“Don’t give children soft drinks. Don’t give them sweets,” Ndukwe-Okafor advised, recommending healthier alternatives like bananas and mangoes.
The coalition said it will engage senior policymakers and the National Assembly to push for stricter regulations, including a zero-added-sugar benchmark for infant foods in Nigeria.
Stakeholders agreed that a combination of regulatory reform, industry accountability and consumer education will be critical to safeguarding infant health and securing a healthier future.
New data from CFA Society Nigeria is reshaping how the country’s financial sector thinks about talent development, with Access emerging as the single largest source of CFA candidates in Nigeria, distinction industry watchers say signals a deeper shift in how leading institutions are building investment expertise from within.
In its Where Nigeria’s Finance Professionals Work series, published in a national daily, CFA Society Nigeria placed Access first among employers of CFA candidates nationwide, with 82 candidates enrolled in the programme, more than double the 38 recorded at the next-placed institution and well ahead of every other bank or financial services firm on the list.
Access also ranked second among employers of CFA charterholders, with 11 professionals who have completed all three levels of the Programme and met its experience and ethics requirements.
For an industry that has long measured itself by balance sheet size and branch count, the rankings point to a different kind of competition: one over who is building the deepest bench of certified, globally credentialed talent.
CFA Society Nigeria compiled the data from its Salesforce Membership Database as at June 2026, and described the exercise as a way of recognising employers whose people “bring rigour, integrity and global best practices into the workplace every day.”
Analysts following the sector say the outcome is notable less for the ranking itself than for what it suggests about talent strategy across Africa’s financial services industry. A single institution developing more aspiring charterholders than the rest of the market combined raises the floor for professional standards nationally, not just within one balance sheet.
Every candidate who advances through the CFA Programme adds to a shared pool of ethics-trained, analytically rigorous professionals that Nigeria’s capital markets, pension funds and asset managers all eventually draw from.
Access Holdings Group Chief Executive Officer Innocent C. Ike, commenting on the rankings, framed the achievement in terms of institution-building rather than recruitment: “Every candidate on that list represents our commitment to building institutions and professionals that endure.”
The remark echoes a broader thesis increasingly voiced by market observers, that talent depth, not scale alone, is what will determine which African financial institutions earn lasting global credibility.
That distinction sits at the centre of Access’s stated ambition to become the World’s Most Respected African Financial Services Group. If the CFA numbers are any indication, the Group’s route to that goal runs less through square metres of branch network and more through the calibre of the people sitting inside it, a bet that Nigeria’s finance professionals, and the institutions that will one day hire them, are already placing alongside Access.
Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced plans to introduce Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) baggage tracking technology across domestic and international airport terminals to tackle the growing problem of delayed, misrouted and missing luggages
Michael Achimugu, director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, NCAA, disclosed this at a stakeholder engagement forum in Lagos.
Achimugu said the RFID-enabled system would replace the traditional barcode-based baggage tracking framework and provide airlines and passengers with real-time visibility of checked luggage from check-in to final collection.
According to him, the technology would improve baggage traceability, reduce mishandling and strengthen accountability across the baggage-handling chain.
Unlike conventional barcode systems, RFID technology allows baggage to be automatically scanned at multiple points without requiring direct line of sight, enabling real-time tracking of luggage throughout its journey.
Achimugu said issues involving short-landed, missing, lost or damaged baggage had remained among the major complaints from air travellers, alongside flight delays.
He said the introduction of RFID technology was therefore aimed at improving baggage-handling standards and restoring passenger confidence in the aviation sector.
The NCAA said the initiative also aligns with IATA Resolution 753, which requires airlines to track baggage at key points during the passenger journey.
The authority expects the technology to provide more accurate information on the location of luggage, facilitate quicker resolution of baggage-related complaints and improve the overall passenger experience.
The NCAA said the initiative would also strengthen accountability among airlines and other stakeholders involved in baggage handling at Nigerian airports.
eTranzact International Plc has called for increased adoption of digital payment solutions among micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), saying access to technology is critical to improving business efficiency, financial inclusion and growth.
The company also said it was deepening its partnership with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) to expand digital access and financial literacy among small businesses across the country.
In a statement, the Divisional Head, Merchant Services, eTranzact, Mrs. Abimbola Reis, stated this at the SMEDAN/eTranzact Town Hall Engagement in Lagos recently, themed, “Financial Literacy and Inclusion for MSMEs Leveraging on Fintech Innovation.”
Reis described MSMEs as the backbone of Nigeria’s economy, noting that the sector comprises almost 40 million businesses and contributes significantly to economic growth and job creation.
However, she said many businesses continue to face challenges including limited access to finance, inefficient payment systems, weak financial reporting, cash-flow constraints and inadequate access to digital platforms.
She added that trust concerns also affect businesses’ ability to access finance, while heavy reliance on cash increases exposure to theft and makes payment reconciliation more difficult.
Representing the Director-General of SMEDAN, Prof. Yinka Fisher said the town hall was aimed at generating practical ideas and solutions that would support the growth and expansion of MSMEs.
“The essence of this engagement is to share ideas and concepts that will help MSMEs thrive and expand. Our partnership with eTranzact is about expanding the frontiers of MSMEs and ensuring they continue to grow,” he said.
Also speaking, representative of the Director-General of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Dr. Praise Adedigba said businesses could no longer depend solely on hard work to remain competitive.
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