Agency says banned chemicals remain in circulation despite prohibition, warns of risks to food safety and public health
By Bunmi Yekini
Nigeria’s food and drug regulator, NAFDAC, has seized banned agrochemicals worth more than 800 million naira from four southwestern states, highlighting continued illegal trade in pesticides despite regulatory restrictions.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control said the seizures were made in 2025 across Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo states as part of efforts to curb the circulation of prohibited, unregistered and falsified pesticide products.
In a statement dated October 9, NAFDAC Director-General Mojisola Adeyeye said enforcement operations between September 2024 and July 2026 in the northwest resulted in the seizure or interception of 2,974 cartons of pesticides containing banned paraquat, valued at about 148.7 million naira.
The agency said 120 cartons of pesticides containing chlorpyrifos, worth more than 17 million naira, were also seized during the period.
More recently, officials intercepted 5,619 cartons of banned paraquat, equivalent to 67,428 litres, and 500 cartons of atrazine products weighing 5,000 kg in Kebbi State, the agency said.
NAFDAC said the findings suggested that the problem extended beyond the sale of old stock to illegal imports, unauthorised local production and distribution through informal supply chains.
Nigeria completed the phase-out of affected pesticide products by January 1, 2026, after which products containing prohibited active ingredients, including paraquat, chlorpyrifos and atrazine, could no longer legally be manufactured, imported, distributed, sold or used, according to the agency.
In July, NAFDAC sealed four unauthorised agrochemical and pesticide manufacturing facilities in Bichi, Kano State, where inspectors found unlabeled products, bulk materials and packaging linked to suspected illegal production.
The agency also reported intercepting packaging materials intended for illicit pesticide manufacturing at Malam Aminu Kano International Airport.
Adeyeye said NAFDAC was strengthening collaboration with government institutions and law enforcement agencies to identify illegal products, improve market surveillance and prosecute offenders.
She said the agency was expanding its investigation and enforcement zonal offices from three to six to cover Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. More than 2,000 agro-input dealers have also received training on identifying genuine products and understanding the risks associated with counterfeit or unapproved pesticides, she added.
Beyond the illegal trade, the regulator warned that improper use of approved pesticides could also expose consumers to harmful chemical residues in food.
A recent market study on beans found residues of pyrethroids and dimethoate above safe limits, NAFDAC said. It noted that dimethoate was not approved for preserving harvested beans against pests, while the use of permitted pesticides required strict compliance with application instructions and waiting periods before consumption.
The agency warned that excessive application, incorrect use on crops, premature harvesting and improper storage or disposal of pesticides could harm farmers, consumers, animals and the environment.
It urged farmers and agro-input dealers to obtain pesticides through authorised channels, follow approved label instructions and observe the required waiting periods before harvesting crops.
NAFDAC said pesticide residues exceeding applicable maximum limits could also threaten Nigeria’s agricultural exports by contributing to the rejection of consignments that fail to meet food-safety requirements.
The agency clarified that although it regulates pesticides and processed and branded food products, it does not directly regulate raw agricultural produce, making cooperation among relevant government institutions necessary to strengthen food-safety monitoring.