Most Nigerians Ignorant, They Don’t Read Food Safety Guidelines — NAFDAC DG

The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has described many Nigerians as ignorant of food safety information, saying a significant number do not read or understand safety guidelines.

Adeyeye made the remarks during an interview with BusinessDay TV while explaining the responsibilities of government agencies involved in regulating Nigeria’s food chain.

“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 covering different stages of the food supply chain, from production to consumption.

According to her, NAFDAC’s mandate focuses mainly on processed and semi-processed foods, while the Federal Ministry of Agriculture has primary responsibility for fresh produce.

She noted that fresh fruits and other agricultural products sold directly in markets do not fall primarily under NAFDAC’s regulatory mandate.

However, Adeyeye said NAFDAC has an important role in regulating pesticides because the agency approves, controls and regulates their use.

She said NAFDAC works with the Ministry of Agriculture to educate farmers on proper pesticide application, including how much chemical should be used and the appropriate period between treatment and harvesting.

Adeyeye attributed some cases of improper pesticide use to poor understanding of instructions, saying some farmers may believe that applying more chemicals will produce better results.

She cited an estimated 56 per cent illiteracy rate as one of the factors making it difficult for safety information to reach large sections of the population.

The NAFDAC chief said the agency’s Veterinary Medicine and Allied Products Directorate also trains farmers and other stakeholders on the proper use of pesticides.

However, she said NAFDAC could not independently train all farmers across the country because of the size of the farming population.

“NAFDAC cannot go to millions of farmers in Nigeria. It is the Ministry of Agriculture that should be doing that,” she said.

Adeyeye stressed that the Ministry of Agriculture has the primary responsibility for educating farmers on fresh produce, while NAFDAC would continue supporting the process because of its regulatory role over pesticides.

She also disclosed that NAFDAC receives more than 200 complaints from Nigerians through its complaint channels every month. In August alone, the agency received 225 complaints concerning suspected counterfeit products.

Adeyeye said such complaints provide useful leads for investigations and enforcement actions by the agency.