‘We’re Are Very Ignorant’ — NAFDAC DG Blasts Nigerians

The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has described Nigerians as “very ignorant,” blaming poor understanding of pesticide instructions and the responsibilities of regulatory agencies for some food safety challenges in the country.

Adeyeye made the remarks during an interview with BusinessDay TV on Monday while explaining the division of responsibilities between NAFDAC and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in regulating food safety and agricultural chemicals.

“First of all, we are ignorant in this country. We are very ignorant. We don’t read. We don’t understand,” she said.

The NAFDAC boss explained that food safety regulation involves several government agencies operating at different stages of the food production and distribution chain, from the farm to the consumer.

According to her, NAFDAC’s mandate primarily covers processed and semi-processed foods, while the Ministry of Agriculture is primarily responsible for fresh agricultural produce.

“From farm to fork, there are many organisations and agencies that are involved. From farm to fork,” Adeyeye said.

She clarified that the agency does not directly regulate fresh fruits and other agricultural produce sold in markets.

“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,” she added.

However, Adeyeye said NAFDAC has responsibilities relating to pesticide safety because it approves, regulates and controls the chemicals used in agricultural production.

She explained that the agency collaborates with the Ministry of Agriculture to educate farmers on the proper application of pesticides, including the recommended quantities, timing of application and the appropriate interval between treatment and harvesting.

“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 attributed some cases of pesticide misuse to farmers’ inadequate understanding of product instructions, warning that applying larger quantities of chemicals does not necessarily produce better results.

She cited the country’s literacy challenges as one of the factors that could make it difficult for some farmers to understand pesticide labels and follow recommended instructions.

“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,” the NAFDAC director-general said.

She disclosed that NAFDAC’s Veterinary Medicine and Allied Products Directorate trains farmers and other stakeholders on the safe use of pesticides, including the correct timing for application and harvesting.

However, Adeyeye argued that the agency could not independently reach the country’s entire farming population, stressing the need for the Ministry of Agriculture to take the lead in educating farmers.

“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 although NAFDAC has a responsibility to educate farmers because it regulates pesticides, the Ministry of Agriculture remains primarily responsible for providing such training.

“It is because we control the pesticide, we also should help in teaching them. The Ministry of Agric should be teaching them,” Adeyeye added.

The NAFDAC boss also lamented the public’s limited understanding of the agency’s statutory responsibilities, saying many Nigerians do not know which government institutions are responsible for specific aspects of food safety regulation.

“But many people don’t know,” she said.

Her comments come amid continuing concerns over food safety, the misuse of agricultural chemicals and the circulation of substandard or potentially unsafe products in Nigerian markets.

LEADERSHIP reports that NAFDAC has continued to conduct enforcement operations, including seizing products deemed unsafe or unfit for consumption, as part of its efforts to protect public health.