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Food scientists, regulators, health professionals, manufacturers and consumer representatives have called for stronger, evidence-based regulation and public communication on the use and safety of low- and no-calorie sweeteners (LNCS) in Nigeria.

The stakeholders made the call at a two-day NIFST Academy and International Sweeteners Association (ISA) workshop on ‘Low- and No-Calorie Sweeteners in Nigeria: The Science and Safety,’ held in Lagos from August 31 to September 1.

The meeting focused on the scientific evidence on LNCS, their regulation, consumer safety, and the challenges of using these ingredients in food and beverage reformulation in Nigeria.

LNCS are food ingredients that provide sweetness with little or no calories. They are commonly used in beverages, tabletop sweeteners, supplements, and some medicinal products, particularly to reduce sugar and calorie content.

The stakeholders said Nigeria needed to strengthen the link between scientific evidence, public health policy, regulation and consumer education as concerns over diet-related non-communicable diseases continue to grow.

President of the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST), Dr Bola Osinowo, said the NIFST Academy was established to build professional competence and promote the use of science and data to address food and nutrition challenges.

Osinowo said discussions on sweeteners had become increasingly important against the backdrop of the country’s growing burden of diet-related non-communicable diseases.

Presenting the scientific basis for assessing the safety of LNCS, ISA Director-General Laurent Oger said safety assessments should be based on the totality of available evidence rather than isolated studies.

According to him, independent expert bodies consider factors including the quality and relevance of studies, consistency of findings and biological plausibility when determining the safety of food additives.

He said risk assessments could include evidence from metabolism, toxicology, genotoxicity, carcinogenicity, reproductive studies, human studies, exposure assessments and epidemiological research.

Oger also explained the role of the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI), describing it as a protective benchmark for lifetime daily exposure to a substance.

He said the ADI is derived from the No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL), with an additional safety factor applied to account for differences between experimental animals and humans as well as variations among individuals.

The workshop heard that assessments by international regulatory and scientific bodies, including the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), have supported the safety of approved LNCS when used within established conditions.

Stakeholders also cited evidence from randomised controlled trials showing that approved sweeteners, when used to replace sugars and other carbohydrates that raise blood glucose, do not adversely affect blood glucose, HbA1c or insulin secretion.

They emphasised the need to keep consumption within established ADI limits.

In Nigeria, stakeholders identified existing regulations as well as gaps in technical capacity, consumer awareness and risk communication.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) said Nigeria already had the Food Additives Regulations 2021 and the Non-Nutritive Sweeteners in Food Products Regulations 2021 to guide the use of such ingredients.

The agency also noted that the Federal Government’s sugar-sweetened beverage tax had encouraged manufacturers to consider reformulating products to reduce sugar content.

However, participants said local manufacturers needed more technical support to address challenges in replacing sugar while maintaining taste, bulk, mouthfeel, viscosity and product stability, particularly under Nigeria’s hot, humid storage and distribution conditions.

The workshop also identified what participants described as a gap between awareness and functional knowledge of sweeteners among Nigerians.

Studies cited at the meeting indicated that while many consumers may be aware of sweeteners as alternatives to sugar, some consumers and professionals still have limited understanding of the ingredients’ metabolic effects and safety.

Stakeholders said the information gap, combined with the rapid spread of unverified claims online, could contribute to public confusion and misinformation about LNCS.

In its communique, the meeting recommended that the NIFST Academy and ISA develop evidence-based risk communication tools targeted at nutritionists, dietitians and medical practitioners.

Stakeholders said these tools should help address misconceptions about sweeteners and improve health professionals’ ability to communicate scientific evidence to the public.

They also called for greater alignment between Nigeria’s Food Additives Regulations 2021, the Non-Nutritive Sweeteners Regulations, and Codex Alimentarius standards.

According to the communique, such harmonisation should help simplify the registration and approval process for products reformulated with sweetener systems assessed by JECFA, while maintaining appropriate safety requirements.

Participants included representatives of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, NAFDAC, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE), food and beverage manufacturers, academic institutions, consumer groups, nutrition organisations and the media.

Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru has warned the people of Izhi Nnodo clan against the indiscriminate sale of ancestral lands, family compounds and burial grounds.

He said such practices could make them strangers in their own homeland.

Nwifuru issued the warning at the weekend in Amagu, the ancestral home of Izhi Nnodo, during the grand finale of the Ojiji Izhi New Yam Festival.

He also cautioned against the erosion of indigenous values in the name of religion, modernity or political expediency.

The governor said ancestral land was not merely a commodity but represented the history, identity and collective memory of the people, urging families to preserve inherited properties for generations yet unborn.

‘I have seen situations where people sell not only family lands but even the burial grounds and ancestral compounds of their fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers.

‘Such actions are regrettable because they disregard the sacrifices and struggles through which our ancestors secured these lands,’ Nwifuru said in his Izhi dialect.

He appealed to elders, traditional rulers, youths and religious leaders to protect the cultural heritage of the clan, stressing that the people must distinguish between legitimate cultural traditions and practices that violate religious or moral principles.

Nwifuru said religion and culture should not be unnecessarily conflated, noting that legitimate traditions promoting unity, respect for elders, communal responsibility and peaceful coexistence should not be discarded merely because of religious convictions.

‘Many have confused religion for tradition and have failed to locate the difference between the two. There is sharp demarcation between the two and they do not conflict and clash in their operations,’ he said.

The governor identified respect for elders, dignity of labour, hard work, peace, unity and communalism as some of the core values that historically defined the Izhi people.

He also warned against allowing political disagreements to tear the clan apart ahead of the 2027 elections, saying political contests should not destroy ancestral bonds or communal relationships.

Nwifuru said those seeking elective positions under opposition platforms were free to exercise their democratic rights but urged them to pursue their ambitions peacefully and in the interest of the people.

He equally cautioned against what he described as the use of social media to provoke political crises, insisting that legitimate grievances should be addressed through appropriate channels.

‘People should not leverage social media to castigate our leaders and deny our sincere performances all in the name of politics,’ he said.

Defending his administration’s record, Nwifuru said Ebonyi had witnessed significant infrastructure development under his administration, particularly in the road sector.

‘We have completed more than 500 kilometres of roads across the 13 LGAs. We have done roads connecting other states with span bridges,’ he said.

He urged the people to support the All Progressives Congress in the 2027 elections, expressing confidence that the party would secure victory across the state.

The governor said the administration’s political objective was to consolidate its development agenda and deliver electoral victories for APC candidates from the presidency to the governorship, Senate, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly.

Chairman of the Ojiji Izhi cultural event, Edward Nkwegu, said the festival remained a platform for transmitting the values of good morals, sincerity, industry, justice, equity and fairness handed down by the ancestors.

Nkwegu lamented the increasing erosion of traditional values among youths, attributing part of the development to modernity and Western influences.

President and Co-CEO, Critical Minerals Financing Corporation (CMFC) Plc, Dr Israel Ovirih, was at the weekend honoured as one of Nigeria’s 25 topmost chief executives, an award that highlighted Dr Israel Ovirih’s transformational leadership and impact in Nigerian economy.

Dr Israel Ovirih was awarded as one of ‘BusinessDay Top 25 CEOs’, in a selection process coordinated by Nigeria’s leading business and economy daily, BusinessDay in collaboration with the Nigerian Exchange (NGX). The data were primarily collated by the NGX based on corporate performances and records of listed companies.

Dr Israel Ovirih, a versatile investment banker and development economist, was honoured for successfully birthing CMFC as Africa’s premier investment bank for minerals and metals, with the award celebrating strategic ambition, institutional transformation and disciplined execution that made the milestone possible.

Dr Israel Ovirih’s Banklink Africa Private Equity had purchased majority equity stake in Deap Capital Management and Trust Plc and rebuilt the company through rigourous process of corporate reassessment, redirection, repositioning, recapitalisation and growth and stability.

The BusinessDay Top 25 CEOs Awards celebrates Nigeria’s most outstanding business leaders and it is widely recognised as one of the country’s most respected platforms for recognising excellence in corporate leadership and performance. The awards honour chief executives whose leadership delivered exceptional shareholders’ value, strengthened institutions, transformed industries and contribute meaningfully to the development of Nigerian economy.

Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Exchange (NGX), Mr. Jude Chiemeka, said Dr Israel Ovirih and others top chief executives were selected based on scientific parameters for measuring corporate governance excellence and performance.

‘Your achievement represents what’s possible when enterprise and leadership come together,’ Chiemeka said.

He pointed out that quoted companies like CMFC contribute more meaningfully to the economy as publicly quoted companies have been found to be more compliant in most key parameters, including tax compliant, governance and disclosures.

He noted the strategic importance of CMFC in helping to opening up the capital market to vast minerals sector of the economy and unlocking much-needed resources for the greater development of the country.

Chief Executive Officer, BusinessDay Media, Mr. Frank Aigbogun said Dr Israel Ovirih was honoured for demonstrating exemplary attributes during a defining period for corporate Nigeria marked by macroeconomic adjustments, a period when success required more than resilience but also strategic agility, disciplined execution, innovation and capability to deliver sustainable value.

‘Your leadership reflects the core attributes celebrated by the Awards: strategic vision, resilience, innovation, disciplined execution, and the ability to build a sustainable institution in a dynamic operating environment,’ Aigbogun said.

He pointed out that the Award was a recognition of both CMFC’s organizational achievement and Dr Israel Ovirih’s leadership excellence, noting that Dr Ovirih set a record with the birth of CMFC as a specialised financing group for a high-growth segment of Africa’s economy.

He explained that the 2026 awards recognised performance during the 2025 financial year, ‘describing the past year as a year of transition for Nigeria’s economy and a period when producing results was difficult.

He said the awardees were selected on the basis of evidential research based on assessable data, pointing out that the selection process was designed to recognise substance over visibility and performance over popularity.

‘We look beyond the personality of the chief executive to the quality of the enterprise the leader is building. The Top 25 CEOs represent established businesses that have demonstrated exceptional leadership and performance,’ Aigbogun said.

He underlined the importance of the leadership factor in corporate growth and general economic development, noting that top decision makers are the engines that drive much-acknowledged private sector’s roles in building productive capacity, shared prosperity and long-term sustainable development.

He said: ‘Our economy is not built only by policy. It is built every day by companies making decisions about capital, people, technology, markets and risks’.

In a brief remarks, Dr Ovirih reassured that CMFC is committed to its vision of providing much-needed structured financing and expertise to unlock values in Nigeria and Africa’s critical minerals and metals.

He dedicated the award to shareholders, directors, staff and all other stakeholders whose efforts have continued to drive CMFC’s success story.

Other awardees included Group Managing Director, Zenith Bank Plc, Dame Adaora Umeoji; Managing Director, Jaiz Bank Plc, Dr Haruna Musa; Group Managing Director, HBM Nigeria Plc, formerly Lafarge Africa, Mr Lolu Alade-Akinyemi; Chief Executive Officer, Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, Mr Chuma Nwokocha; Chief Executive Officer, UPDC Plc, Mr Odunayo Ojo; Group Managing Director, VFD Group Plc, Mr Nonso Okpala; Founder and Group Managing Director, Custodian Investment Plc, Mr Wole Oshin; Managing Director, May and Baker Nigeria Plc, Pharm Patrick Ajah; Chief Executive Officer, Seplat Energy Plc, Engr Effiong Okon; President and Group Chief Executive Officer, Transnational Corporation of Nigeria, Mrs Owen Omogiafo and Managing Director, Transcorp Power Plc, Engr Peter Ikenga.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday declared that the era of white elephant projects was over, warning the Regional Development Commissions against becoming conduits for wasting public funds through projects that do not directly improve Nigerians’ lives.

The President also warned the boards and managements of the commissions against corruption, marginalisation, politicisation and ethnicisation of their operations, saying his administration would not hesitate to sanction anyone found culpable.

Tinubu spoke in Abuja while declaring open the first North Central Stakeholders Development Summit organised by the North Central Development Commission (NCDC).

Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, the President charged the commissions to develop clear, concise, attainable and fundable programmes capable of unlocking the economic potential of their respective regions.

‘The era of white elephant projects is over and there is no excuse for the Commissions to become another conduit for wasting public funds.

‘Such actions will not be tolerated and government will not hesitate to sanction anyone found culpable’, Tinubu said.

Tinubu, however, assured the commissions of the Federal Government’s political and financial backing, directing the SGF to ensure that all funds accruing to them were released as and when due.

‘Government will continue to give the NCDC and other Regional Development Commissions the political and financial backing to embark on key projects that will unlock the economic and industrial potentials of the nation.

‘I therefore direct the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to ensure that all funds accruable to the Commissions are released as and when due,’ he said.

The President also urged the commissions not to rely exclusively on government funding, advising them to explore alternative sources of financing, including public-private partnerships, donor funding and development financing, subject to their establishing laws and government guidelines.

Tinubu said establishing the Regional Development Commissions was part of his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda to accelerate development and address longstanding development gaps across the country.

He clarified that the commissions were not established to replace, duplicate or usurp the functions of any tier of government.

‘Rather, it is our way of looking at why development gaps still exist and trying to close them up for the benefit of our people,’ he said.

According to him, the commissions must focus on development priorities that unlock the potential of their respective regions while strengthening interconnectivity across the country.

He identified roads, rail and air transportation, industrialisation, security, investment, human capital development, education and health as critical sectors requiring attention.

Tinubu also charged the Ministry of Regional Development to ensure that the commissions operated within the Regional Development Policy Document, while urging the legislature to provide the necessary oversight.

Speaking specifically on the North Central, the President said the region possessed enormous potential in agriculture, food production and agro-processing, solid minerals development and processing, industrial development, peace and security.

He, however, said the region had operated below its potential for too long, challenging stakeholders to use the summit to chart a new development trajectory capable of transforming its economic fortunes.

The President acknowledged the security challenges confronting parts of the region, saying the Federal Government had intensified surveillance and intelligence gathering, established more security formations, deployed additional personnel and increased the prosecution of criminals.

He said the government had also supported dialogue and reconciliation as part of efforts to restore peace and stability.

Tinubu urged the NCDC to complement the Federal Government’s efforts to stabilise the region, stressing that meaningful development could only take place in an atmosphere of peace and security.

He described the summit’s theme, ‘The Great Leap Forward: A 20-Year Economic, Infrastructural and Social Development Plan for the North Central Region,’ as appropriate, saying it provided stakeholders an opportunity to develop a consensus-driven roadmap for the region.

The President urged participants to scrutinise the proposed development plan and ensure that it reflected the aspirations of the people while aligning with the Renewed Hope Agenda.

He warned the NCDC against letting the summit’s outcome suffer the fate of previous development initiatives whose recommendations were never implemented.

‘This Summit should not end up as one of those platforms where ideas are ventilated and reports generated only to be left dusting on the shelves. The NCDC should show a better example by following through to implementation,’ Tinubu said.

He urged the commission to translate the summit’s outcome into concrete, measurable projects that would stimulate economic activity, improve livelihoods, and unlock the North Central region’s vast potential.