Statistically, agriculture is the backbone of Nigeria’s economy regardless of its oil wealth. In 2021, agriculture was responsible for 26 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), employing over 30 percent of the active labour force. The growing population in Nigeria has resulted in an increase in production to satisfy rising demand for food. Increased production, therefore, results in the adoption of conventional agriculture that requires more usage of external chemicals like pesticides, artificial fertilizers and herbicides.
Consistent usage of these pesticides and artificial fertilizers has caused health complications as well as economic and environmental hazards. According to a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Nigeria is regarded as the largest importer of pesticides in Africa. In 2018, it spent $384 million and imported about 147,400 pesticides in 2020. Experts have affirmed that pesticides are a serious threat to public health and environment in Nigeria. It is also considered a global threat, causing over 385 million deaths across the globe, especially in Africa and other parts of the global south.
Lack of sensitization affects farmers’ application of pesticides.
Currently, there is no sufficient data recorded on the number of deaths caused by pesticides, but for the 270 Nigerians who died as a result of Endosulfan in Benue State, Nigeria in 2020. A survey carried out by the Alliance for Action on Pesticide in Nigeria (AAPN) in some Nigerian villages shows that over 90 percent of Nigerian farmers have no knowledge concerning the chemical they use of plants, neither do consumers know the chemical applied to their food. Majority of the farmers ignore the product labels in pesticide products because they lack the ability to read, and are resultantly oblivious of the hazards associated with the use of pesticides.
The lack of sensitization of farmers concerning appropriate use of pesticides was attributed to the lack of laws governing the sector and weak regulations. Therefore, a press conference was held in Abuja for the purpose of reviewing the NAFDAC Pesticide Registration Regulation 2021, amidst highlighting the vulnerabilities and threats in the proposed bill to Establish a Pesticide Council 2021 passed by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), and amending the Fertilizer Act of 2019.
Cancer can also be caused by pesticides’ active ingredients.
Speaking at the conference, AAPN Lead Coordinator, Mr. Donald Ikenna, stated that alongside sensitization of farmers, there is the need to ensure that relevant government regulatory agencies like NAFDAC, the Farm Input Support Services (FISS), NESREA, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) diligently execute their mandate. NAFDAC has admitted that more than 40 percent of pesticide products registered in Nigeria have been banned in Europe as a result of their impacts on peoples health and the environment.
2022 survey of AAPN and the Smallholder Women Farmers Organization of Nigeria (SWOFON) has further shown that out of 13 most common pesticide products, 7 have active ingredients that are capable of causing cancer. These active ingredients include Paraquat and Butachlor. Besides from health costs, they have also caused economic losses due to food export rejections for presence of banned pesticides in them. The Programme Officer of Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Mrs. Joyce Brown, said that usage and exposure to Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHP) in Nigeria lacks monitoring in their application.
Phased out pesticides should be prohibited from registration in Nigeria.
Barrister Oreoluwa, who is with AAPN, stated that Section 2 (1) of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) regulation policy frowns against the use or importation of pesticides that are not registered in the country. However, the section failed to realize that banned pesticides that are not longer in use in other countries may be registered in the country. Therefore, she advised that there is an introduction of a new subsection that prohibits registration of banned or phased out pesticides.
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Pesticides’ use require regulatory frameworks – They are considered as national and global threats to health & environment. – Express your point of view.
I agree that the use of pesticides requires strong regulatory frameworks to ensure that they are used safely and responsibly. Pesticides can have harmful effects on both human health and the environment, and it is important that they are used in a way that minimizes these risks. National and global regulations can help to ensure that pesticides are used in a way that is safe and effective, and that they do not pose unnecessary risks to people or the environment. By regulating the use of pesticides, we can help to protect public health and the environment, while still allowing for their use in agriculture and other industries.
The pesticides used by farmers should be regulated. It should be ones that cannot have a repel effect on the plants. If this is done, the nutrients of plants will be protected and not contaminated with chemicals.
To guarantee that pesticides are used responsibly and safely, strong regulatory frameworks are needed. Pesticides should be used in a way that reduces the risks because they can have negative impacts on both human health and the environment. Regulations of it can help to guarantee the safe and efficient use of pesticides so it will not be harm to the people are environment
Pesticides’ use require regulatory frameworks, the used of pesticides is in need to be control in all the way it as been used even in agricultural sector to secure what we are consuming we can safeguard the environment and public health by controlling the use of pesticides
Pesticide usage need framework we cannot be using the pesticide anyhow it can affect our health and environment it is a risk to us so controlling the usage of pesticides is a nice idea to do
The use of pesticide in farming need to be regulated by the government and the regulatory agent especial when farmers don’t have the knowledge of the kind of pesticide applied on the crops. It will put every life that consume such crop in danger. Awareness should be made on a large scale on the danger of using inappropriate pesticide to farms and the danger it pose to consumers. All chemicals should be properly registered with the appropriate authority for proper regulation.
It is more dangerous if the farmer are not educated and don’t have proper knowledge of the kind of chemical applied on their farms and crops, it out so many lives in danger. It is therefore proper for Federal Government and regulatory agent to step in and control the usage of pesticide applied on crops and farms. Creating awareness is very important too, especial to the uneducated among the farmers.
To have well controlled and regulated use of pesticide on farms it will be better if agencies that will oversee this process is set up and sensitization should be done in a large scale to uneducated farmers to inform them of the danger of applying unapproved pesticide on farms and farms produces. Indicating the possible danger it pose to consumers.