The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has blamed poor understanding of pesticide instructions and the roles of regulatory agencies for some of the food safety challenges facing Nigeria.
Adeyeye made the remarks during an interview with BusinessDay TV on Monday while explaining the different responsibilities of NAFDAC and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in regulating food safety and agricultural chemicals.
The NAFDAC boss criticised what she described as a widespread failure among Nigerians to read and properly understand instructions on products.
“First of all, we are ignorant in this country. We are very ignorant. We don’t read. We don’t understand,” she said.
Adeyeye explained that food safety regulation is not handled by one government agency alone. Several institutions have responsibilities at different points along the food supply chain, from agricultural production to the point where food reaches consumers.
“From farm to fork, there are many organisations and agencies that are involved. From farm to fork,” she said.
She clarified that NAFDAC’s primary responsibility covers processed and semi-processed food products, while the Ministry of Agriculture has the main responsibility for fresh agricultural produce.
“NAFDAC mandate is for processed or semi-processed foods. So the oranges you buy in the market, we don’t control the oranges you buy in the market,” Adeyeye said.
However, she noted that NAFDAC still has a role to play in pesticide safety because the agency approves, regulates and controls pesticides used in agricultural production.
According to her, NAFDAC works with the Ministry of Agriculture to help farmers understand how agricultural chemicals should be used, including the correct quantity, appropriate application period and the required waiting period before crops are harvested.
“It is the Ministry of Agriculture that has the primary mandate for fresh produce. Fresh produce. However, because we approve, we regulate and control pesticides, we have the obligation to train them on how to use them based on the directions on the label,” she said.
Adeyeye said some farmers misuse pesticides because they do not fully understand the instructions on product labels. She warned that using more of a chemical does not necessarily make it more effective.
She also linked the problem partly to Nigeria’s literacy challenges, noting that some farmers may struggle to read or understand the instructions provided on pesticide products.
“We have about 56 per cent illiteracy. If it’s a literate country, they will read: ‘Put one teaspoon in one gallon.’ Sometimes our people don’t understand. And they think the more you put, the better,” she said.
The NAFDAC director-general disclosed that the agency’s Veterinary Medicine and Allied Products Directorate provides training for farmers and other stakeholders on the safe use of pesticides.
The training includes guidance on when chemicals should be applied and the appropriate period between pesticide application and harvesting.
However, Adeyeye stressed that NAFDAC cannot independently reach every farmer across the country, given the size of Nigeria’s farming population.
“But we cannot go to one million farmers in Nigeria, I don’t know how many millions we have. NAFDAC cannot do that. It is the Ministry of Agriculture that should be doing that,” she said.
She maintained that while NAFDAC has a responsibility to contribute to educating farmers because it regulates pesticides, the Ministry of Agriculture should take the primary responsibility for farmer education.
“It is because we control the pesticide, we also should help in teaching them. The Ministry of Agric should be teaching them,” Adeyeye added.
Adeyeye also expressed concern over what she described as limited public understanding of NAFDAC’s statutory duties.
She said many Nigerians do not clearly understand which government institutions are responsible for different aspects of food safety and agricultural regulation.
“But many people don’t know,” she said.
Her comments come amid continuing concerns about food safety, improper use of agricultural chemicals and the circulation of substandard or potentially unsafe products in Nigerian markets.
NAFDAC has continued to carry out enforcement operations, including the seizure of products considered unsafe or unfit for consumption, as part of its efforts to protect public health.
