Experts warn of cancer, kidney risks as Shawarma craze grips Nigerians

Nigerians are increasingly turning to shawarma as a quick meal, but health experts warn that frequent consumption could raise the risk of hypertension, high blood sugar, kidney disease and cancer, due to its high salt, sugar and processed meat content, according to a Punch investigation.

A peer-reviewed study of ready-to-eat foods in Lagos found a mean total bacterial count of 7.51 million colony-forming units per gram across 35 shawarma samples from Agege, Iyana-Ipaja and Ikorodu markets.

Diagnostic Radiologist, Professor Ifeoma Okoye, said the concern was not occasional consumption but frequency, noting that the International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies processed meat, commonly used in shawarma, as a Group 1 carcinogen. “If shawarma loaded with processed meat becomes a daily or near-daily habit for millions of Nigerians, we should expect it to contribute to rising bowel and other digestive cancers over the coming decades,” she said.

She added: “The mayonnaise and creamy sauces are among the riskiest parts of a shawarma… they become an ideal breeding ground for Salmonella and other bacteria.”

Nephrologist Professor Babawale Bello warned that high salt content in processed foods could raise blood pressure, advising Nigerians to “eat food that is not processed.”

Public health expert Professor Tanimola Akande said poor hygiene during preparation could cause “gastrointestinal diseases like cholera, dysentery, typhoid and other diarrhoeal diseases.”

The Federal Government disclosed in June 2026 that unsafe food causes nearly 50 million illnesses and over 53,000 deaths annually in Nigeria.