NAFDAC Unveils Plan To Phase Out More Pesticides, Agrochemicals

NAFDAC DG during the virtual meeting.

National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) said it has reviewed the list of registered pesticides in the country due to their associated health implications, adding that stakeholders will be engaged to discuss the proposed phase out of some products.

The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed this yesterday in a statement while reacting to a recent online publication, insinuating that NAFDAC has failed in its duties to regulate and control the use of pesticides in the country.

The products are, anthraquinone, carbendazim, chlorothalonil, clothianidim, diquat dibromite, diquate dichloride, oxadiargyle, thiacloprid, ametryn and methomyl, carbofuran and chlorpyrifos.

Adeyeye noted that the regulatory activities of NAFDAC rest on the Agency’s mandate stated in NAFDAC Act Cap N1 LFN 2004 amidst other laws to ensure safety, quality and efficacy as well as establish compliance with global best practices.

She said pesticides are used in agriculture, public health, horticulture, and food storage, adding that the products are manufactured and imported through very strict regulatory processes to ascertain the safety of handlers and minimal impact on human health and the environment.

She, however, said that serious concerns have been raised about health risks resulting from misuse and abuse through occupational exposure and from residues in food and drinking water resulting into acute, chronic, and environmental effects.

She said, “As part of the Agency’s efforts to safeguard the health of the Nigerian populace in 2019, regulatory measures and controls were put in place to arrest/mitigate the abuse and misuse of Agrochemicals.

“In 2020, the Agency in a collaborative effort reviewed the safety profile of some registered agrochemicals in Nigeria and in consultation with relevant stakeholders, initiated a four -year phase out plan for Paraquat and Atrazine products considering the health risks these products pose to public health, and bearing in mind the need to have in place adequate and suitable replacements for these products.”

She urged relevant stakeholders to adhere to all regulatory measures when handling or using pesticides.