The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has said inadequate public understanding of food safety regulations remains a major challenge in Nigeria.
Adeyeye made the remarks while explaining the responsibilities of government agencies involved in regulating food and agricultural products across the country.
She said many Nigerians were unaware of the different roles played by government agencies in ensuring food safety, stressing that regulation covers the food chain from production to consumption.
“We are ignorant in this country. We are very ignorant. We don’t read, we don’t understand,” Adeyeye said.
She explained that NAFDAC’s mandate primarily covers processed and semi-processed foods, while the Ministry of Agriculture has the primary responsibility for fresh agricultural produce.
According to her, fresh produce such as oranges sold directly in markets does not fall under NAFDAC’s direct regulatory mandate.
“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 said.
However, Adeyeye noted that NAFDAC plays a role in the regulation of pesticides used on agricultural produce because the agency approves, regulates and controls such products.
She said NAFDAC works with the Ministry of Agriculture to educate farmers on the proper application of pesticides, including the appropriate waiting period between application and harvesting.
The NAFDAC boss said inadequate understanding of pesticide instructions could lead to misuse, with some farmers believing that applying more chemicals would produce better results.
Adeyeye attributed part of the problem to low literacy levels, saying some Nigerians may struggle to understand instructions contained on pesticide labels.
She said NAFDAC’s Veterinary Medicine and Allied Products Directorate also trains farmers and other stakeholders on the safe and appropriate use of pesticides.
However, she acknowledged that NAFDAC could not train every farmer across the country because of the size of Nigeria’s farming population.
“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 Agric that should be doing that,” she said.
Adeyeye maintained that the Ministry of Agriculture should take primary responsibility for educating farmers, while NAFDAC would continue to support the process because of its regulatory responsibility over pesticides.
She also noted that many Nigerians were unaware of the extent of NAFDAC’s regulatory responsibilities, adding that the agency regulates a range of processed food products in addition to medicines.
The comments come amid continuing concerns over food safety, pesticide misuse and the circulation of counterfeit and substandard products in Nigeria. NAFDAC said it received 225 complaints concerning suspected counterfeit products in August, while the agency continues to receive more than 200 complaints monthly through its reporting channels.
About the Author
