In a determined move to confront Nigeria’s mounting food safety challenges, the Lagos State Government, in collaboration with DIDOMI Company Limited, hosted a high-impact 2025 Food Safety Workshop, uniting top players across the food industry to drive urgent reforms.
Held under the theme “Food Safety First: Protecting Consumers, Empowering Industries,” the event brought together regulators, policymakers, manufacturers, food scientists, health experts, and business leaders to chart a new course for consumer protection and industry accountability.
Speaking at the opening, Mr. Lanre Mojola, Director General of the Lagos State Safety Commission, delivered a clear message:
“Food safety must be at the heart of public health policy. It’s not optional—it’s survival.”
He warned that unsafe food practices continue to endanger lives, compromise the economy, and erode public trust. Mojola stressed that stronger regulation must go hand-in-hand with private sector responsibility.
The partnership with DIDOMI, he said, signals Lagos’ firm commitment to building a resilient, transparent, and safety-focused food ecosystem, balancing innovation with strict adherence to standards.
Mr. Adekola Joseph, CEO of DIDOMI Company Limited, echoed the urgency: “When food is unsafe, the consequences are deadly. This is a wake-up call to the entire food value chain—no one is exempt.”
The workshop featured intensive panels and technical sessions on: Global best practices in food processing and packaging; compliance with NAFDAC and SON food safety guidelines, rising threats from adulterated and contaminated products and mandatory training and certification of food handlers.
Participants shared case studies of product recalls, consumer illness, and legal fallout, highlighting how safety failures can devastate both lives and businesses.
In attendance were major industry stakeholders, including ShopRite, Nestlé, Rite Foods, Flour Mills of Nigeria, Sweet Sensation, Casa Verde, and Infinity Querentia, alongside advocacy bodies like the Restaurants and Food Services Proprietors Association of Nigeria (REFSPAN) and the Association for the Promotion of Food Safety and Improved Nutrition (APFSAN).
The event closed with a call for cross-sector collaboration, urging stakeholders to treat food safety not as an afterthought, but as a national priority and moral responsibility.
“When we protect what people eat, we protect what a nation becomes,” Mojola concluded.
With this workshop, Lagos State reinforces its position as a national leader in health governance and consumer protection—taking bold steps today to secure safer meals tomorrow.
