As one of the largest importers of pesticides on the African continent, Nigeria faces mounting human and environmental health challenges due to their high use. A significant number of these pesticides are highly hazardous and already banned in regions like the European Union. Nigeria therefore should STOP THEIR IMPORTATION.

As of November 2022, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control's (NAFDAC) Green Book product database lists about 680 synthetic chemical pesticide products (excluding chemical repellents). More than half of these products include active ingredients that are not approved in the European market due to, for example, their potential chronic health effects, environmental persistence, high toxicity for fish or bees, or insufficient data to uphold the principle of preventing harm.   

Surveys have shown that up to 80% of the most frequently used pesticides by small-scale farmers in Nigeria are Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs). Pesticides are classified as highly hazardous if they cause serious or irreversible damage to health or the environment. They can cause cancer or genetic defects, impair fertility or harm unborn children. Women farmers are vulnerable especially to pesticides that are hormonally active or known to disrupt the endocrine system.

The risk of toxic pesticides also extends to end consumers as pesticide residues have been found on farm produce exceeding the Maximum Residual Level. Pesticides also contaminate water via infiltration, surface runoff, and drift. They accumulate in the soil and exert adverse effects on soil life – sometimes for decades.

The frequent and high use of these toxic pesticides has also negatively impacted export opportunities, with the European Union restricting the import of Nigerian agricultural products such as dried beans due to high levels of pesticide residues considered dangerous to human health.

Despite being banned in their home jurisdictions, European companies continue to export these hazardous pesticide products to Nigeria and other African countries, creating a double standard in the pesticide trade.

We call on the Federal Government of Nigeria through the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC):

• To comprehensively review the list of registered pesticide products with the view of phasing out and banning the most hazardous substances. Pesticide products with active ingredients considered too dangerous and toxic for the European market and people, should not be sold in the Nigerian market.
• Raise this issue with the European Union and demand fair trade practices that prioritize the health and well-being of farmers and consumers in Nigeria.
• Enforce strict regulations on the use of pesticides by farmers, provide adequate training and education on safer and sustainable agricultural practices, and support the adoption of organic farming to reduce the overall reliance on chemical pesticides.

Watch this explainer video to understand the issue better - https://youtu.be/0e7RVuRguxk