NAFDAC To Review And Ban Harmful Pesticides Imported From Europe

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) said Nigeria will review and ban toxic pesticides that are harmful to not only humans but also animals and the environment.

NAFDAC's director-general Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye issued a statement on Sunday via media consultant, Olusayo Akintola in Abuja on Sunday, revealing that European Union might be exporting banned Neonicotinoid pesticides to poor countries including Nigeria.

Adeyeye's statement came after a non-governmental organization, Heinrich Boll Foundation claimed in a report that 40% of the pesticides used in Nigeria had been banned in Europe.

"The dangers posed by pesticides are of immense concern to the agency and there have been recent concerns from stakeholders," the statement mentioned, TheCable reported.

Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) alerted NAFDAC that there is a possibility that "the European Union and the United Kingdom were exporting banned Neonicotinoid pesticides to Nigeria and other poorer countries."

"Emphasis was placed on chlorpyrifos and its variants due to their harmful effects on humans, animals, beneficial insects, and the environment," the statement continued.

Akintola mentioned that the director-general has given "a directive to review and analyze the list of registered pesticides and petrochemical active ingredients in the NAFDAC Registered Product Automated Database (NARPAD) vis-à-vis actives banned, non-approved, or restricted in the European Union, other countries or by relevant international organizations."

The statement also disclosed that there have been several meetings with stakeholders and in November 2022, the "timelines were set for the phase-out ban of the various pesticides."

It noted that these pesticides are applied indoors as well as outdoors for managing pests, vector-borne diseases, and crop protection. Sometimes, these pesticides are also impregnated in textiles, paints, carpets, and treated wood to control pests and fungi.

The statement further mentioned that there is toxicity associated with the "misuse and abuse of pesticides is worrisome as it affects food safety and food security."

"The toxicity of pesticides is managed through stringent regulatory activities to reduce severe health implications on humans, crops, and the environment," it continued. "This can be achieved through awareness and continual sensitization of stakeholders."

According to the NAFDAC's director-general, the pesticide and agrochemical importers and manufacturers have been advised, "to institute stewardship plans such as post-marketing surveillance and research in their companies."

Moreover, NAFDAC will collaborate with research institutes in order to conduct the research and generate scientific data on pesticides, so that the agency can make decisions and policies based on evidence.

"NAFDAC to intensify post-marketing surveillance nationwide," the statement concluded.

The European Union pesticides market is one of the biggest around the globe as they provide a wide range of pesticides used for agricultural, horticultural, and forestry purposes.